Soprema Torch-On Two-Ply Systems

APP is modified with plastic and holds up to sustained heat, which suits hot dry climates. SBS is modified with rubber, so it stays flexible while the deck is cold and moving. On the coast a roof cycles between wet cold spells and short warm ones, and that movement is what splits a stiff membrane. The Soprema torch-on systems we install are SBS based.

A two-ply SBS system that actually drains is generally expected to give 20 to 30 years. What shortens it is standing water, blocked drains and debris left to sit, because water that never leaves works at the laps and softens the granule surface. Clearing drains and scuppers each year does more for the lifespan than anything else.

Sometimes. It depends on how many layers are already there, whether the insulation underneath is wet, and whether the deck can carry the added weight. Wet insulation never dries out under a new membrane, it just holds the deck damp and the new roof fails early. A cut test through the existing assembly answers the question.

Torching is hot work and gets treated as hot work. Open flame is kept off parapets, wood edges and wall junctions, where self-adhered or cold-applied sheets are used instead. Combustible material is cleared from the work zone, extinguishers stay within reach, and a fire watch continues after the torches are off, because smouldering shows up later, not immediately.

We serve British Columbia, Alberta and Texas. Our core service area is Metro Vancouver, including West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, and Langley.