Pro Torch Roofing installed a new 2-ply SBS torch-on membrane and replacement sheet-metal flashings on the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver's West End. The building is a designated heritage landmark and a working hotel, so the job was planned around guests, the heritage brick and parapets, and the exposure of a waterfront site. Expected service life: 25–30 years.
The challenge
The Sylvia is one of the most photographed buildings in Vancouver and it never closes. The roof sits behind brick parapets that cannot be damaged, the street below is busy with pedestrians and the hotel's own guests, and the site takes the full force of weather off English Bay. The existing membrane had aged out, with open seams at the parapet walls and corroded cap flashings letting water into the brick.
What we did
Logistics on a live hotel
Material was hoisted in early-morning windows agreed with hotel management, debris went down a sealed chute, and the crew worked in sections so no part of the roof was ever open at the end of a shift. Quiet hours were respected; guests were never asked to move rooms.
Parapets and heritage brick
At the parapet walls we torched a reinforced base-sheet flashing up the wall before the cap sheet, then installed new custom-bent metal cap flashings over the brick, bedded and sealed so the masonry stays dry. No fasteners were driven into face brick.
2-ply SBS torch-on field
SBS base and granulated cap sheet across the field, laps torched and probed, drains re-flashed with new lead and clamping rings. A fire watch followed every shift, covered by our $5M hot-work policy.
The result
A watertight roof on a building that matters to the city, installed without a single guest complaint, and a photo record for the owners' heritage file.
Slide through the job. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Watch the Sylvia Hotel roof replacement
Filmed on site at English Bay: working above a live heritage hotel, parapet detailing and the finished torch-on roof.
Questions about heritage and hotel roofing
Can a hotel stay open during a roof replacement?
Yes. We schedule hoisting and noisy tear-off in agreed windows, seal debris chutes, keep the roof closed overnight and work in sections so guest rooms are never affected.
How do you protect heritage brick and parapets?
Reinforced membrane flashings are torched up the wall, then custom metal cap flashings cover the top of the parapet. We avoid fastening into face brick and bed the metal so the masonry stays dry.
What does a commercial torch-on roof cost in Vancouver?
Pro Torch Roofing installs 2-ply SBS torch-on at $10–$20 per square foot. Heritage and occupied buildings sit toward the upper end because of the logistics and detailing.
Is torch-on appropriate for an older wood-framed building?
With torch-safe base sheets at walls, a written hot-work plan and a fire watch after every shift, yes. It remains the most durable flat-roof system for Vancouver's climate.
Own or manage an older building?
Free drone inspection and written scope. We call back within two business hours.
