Two-ply SBS, torch-applied, on every flat plane you own.
The intersection
White Rock's flat work lands on the rear additions and detached garages behind the older East Beach and West Beach bungalows. Two-ply SBS modified bitumen handles coastal humidity far better than any single-ply, and we torch every seam twice — the step that stops the year-four leak most other systems develop this close to the water.
Local intel
There's less flat work in White Rock than in Surrey or Langley, because the housing stock is mostly sloped. Where it shows up is on rear additions to post-war bungalows and on detached garages where the original tar-and-gravel finally failed. Coastal moisture is the whole story in flat roofing here, and it's why we spec two-ply SBS modified bitumen over any single-ply like TPO or EPDM. SBS takes freeze-thaw and standing water on a coastal deck without cracking, and the modified rubber stays flexible over twenty years in salt air in a way single-ply can't. We torch every seam twice — the typical inland spec is a single pass, which is why most coastal flat roofs start leaking at the seams four years in. Parapet flashing gets wrapped in metal and heat-welded so no critical joint rides on tar sealant. Reflective granulated cap goes on every coastal torch-on job, because UV is real on the flat plane even under the marine layer. And the joint where a flat rear addition meets the two-storey main house gets extra attention — that's the spot that fails first on a coastal home when a crew rushes it, and we don't..
The detail
Base sheet mechanically fastened to the deck. Cap sheet fully torched over the top with an eight-inch overlap on every seam. Every seam gets a second torch pass to fuse the bitumen. Parapets and stack flashings wrapped and heat-welded so nothing's just tar-and-hope.
SBS handles freeze-thaw the way asphalt built-up systems never did. The modified rubber stays flexible in cold weather, so the membrane moves with the deck instead of cracking. That's what buys the 20-year warranty span.
Single-torch seams. Skipping the parapet wrap. Forgetting the drip metal at the eave. Any of those three, and your flat roof leaks within five years. We check for all three before the crew leaves the site.
Frequently asked
Both TPO and EPDM are fine inland. Near the ocean, SBS modified bitumen handles coastal humidity and freeze-thaw noticeably better over twenty years. TPO seams are heat-welded but the material stiffens as it ages; EPDM is a rubber sheet that shrinks over time. We've documented failed TPO on coastal roofs at year twelve on warranty calls. That's why we stay with SBS on coastal work.
Yes. Detached garage roofs are quoted as standalone jobs, usually done in one to two days. Where the garage is attached and shares a wall with the house, we spec both sections together so the transition detail is torch-welded right, under the same 10-year workmanship warranty.
On exposed steel and cheap galvanized flashing, yes. On a properly spec'd Kynar-finished panel or a good asphalt system with coated fasteners, not meaningfully. We spec for the exposure so you don't lose years to something that could've been engineered around.
Yes, and we recommend it on the right home. The trick is a breathable synthetic underlayment so moisture that gets past the shakes can dry out. Skip the breathable layer and cedar in a coastal climate will fail from the deck up in ten years.
Every 2 to 3 years, tighter than an inland home. The exposure to coastal weather means small failures show up faster. We do free 15-minute drive-by inspections on any roof we installed. For coastal homes we bump the check-in to every second year.
20 to 25 years on a well-installed two-ply SBS system. We've been called back to inspect our own 2011 installs and they still look tight. Cheap single-ply BUR systems tap out closer to 10 years, which is why we don't quote them.
Other options here
Same material, other cities
White Rock · Flat / torch-on
Send Innovation Roofing your address or draw the outline of your roof. A named project manager will conduct the site walk, photograph every problem area, and return a written, itemised proposal within one business day — no call centre, no follow-up pressure.
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