Sample project

School roof drainage correction and partial re-roof in Edmonton

Chronic ponding on a school gymnasium roof, corrected with new drains, tapered insulation and a targeted re-roof, all inside the summer break.

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Overview

A school board's facilities team had replaced the same ceiling tiles every spring for years. The cause was water that had nowhere to go. This sample shows a drainage-first fix on a public building with a fixed summer deadline.

Targeted scope

Only the wet third of the roof was replaced.

Summer deadline met

Finished a week before staff returned.

Ponding gone

Heavy rain now clears within hours.

Roofer repairing a flat roof around a drain

The problem

The school's 1970s gymnasium and classroom wing had chronic ponding. Water sat for days after every rain, and each spring the melt backed up around two undersized drains. Ceiling tiles in three classrooms were replaced every year. The facilities team wanted a fix that would last, and it had to happen between the last day of school and the first day back.

New roof drain and tapered insulation cricket

The approach

A drainage survey showed the real cause. The roof had almost no slope to its drains, and deck deflection over the gym had created a low area far from either drain. A moisture scan found wet insulation in that zone. The rest of the roof was in fair condition, so replacing all of it would have spent the board's money on roof that did not need it.

We proposed a targeted scope. Replace the wet 9,000 sq ft over the gym with tapered insulation and 2-ply SBS. Add two new drains and an overflow scupper at the true low points. Install crickets on the remaining roof to steer water to the new drains. A structural engineer reviewed the added insulation load before work began.

Summer programs were running in the building, so we fenced the hoist zone, kept the main entrance clear, and scheduled torching away from occupied rooms and air intakes, using cold-applied adhesive near the intakes.

The result

Work finished in six weeks, a week before staff returned. The first heavy rain in September cleared from the roof within hours. No ceiling tiles have needed replacing since.

The warranty issued

The re-roofed area carries a 10-year ARCA Warranty Certificate and our 10-year workmanship warranty. The remaining roof was added to a spring and fall maintenance program with us, and the board received an updated roof plan showing the new drainage layout for its asset records.

Scope of work

Item 01: Drainage survey and moisture scan of the full roof
Item 02: Structural engineer's review of added insulation load over the gym
Item 03: Tear-off and replacement of 9,000 sq ft over the gymnasium
Item 04: Two new roof drains and one overflow scupper
Item 05: Tapered insulation and crickets to direct water to the new drains
Item 06: Updated roof plan for the board's asset records

Questions

What facility managers ask us

Ask your own

Why not replace the whole roof?

Most of the roof was dry and in fair condition. Fixing the drainage and replacing only the wet area solved the leaks for a fraction of the cost of a full replacement.

Can a school roof really be done over one summer?

Yes, if the scope is set early. Design, engineering review and material orders were completed in the spring, so the crew could start the day after classes ended.