Completed Projects

Office Roof Membrane Waterproofing, 350m² – Compass II, VSIP 1

Posted on by TECO MSC

TECO MSC carried out office roof membrane waterproofing with torch-applied bitumen membrane for the office building of Compass II Co., Ltd., 35 Doc Lap Avenue, Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP 1), Binh Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The roof covers nearly 350m² and has been in service for almost 20 years. Water seeping through the roof left the office ceilings damp, and in heavy rain it dripped into the rooms below.

Compass II office roof at VSIP 1 after membrane waterproofing
The Compass II office roof after the mineral-surfaced membrane was completed.

Roof condition

  • The roof is a tiled concrete slab. After almost 20 years, the tile joints and the waterproofing layer underneath had deteriorated, letting water run along the joints onto the slab and through to the ceiling.
  • Parapet wall bases, roof drains and pipe penetrations (vent pipes, air-conditioning lines) were the main entry points.

Patching individual spots does not fix a roof leaking like this. The waterproofing layer had to be renewed across the whole roof.

Solution: torch-applied mineral-surfaced bitumen membrane

TECO MSC specified a torch-applied Lemax mineral-surfaced bitumen membrane, made in Italy, over the entire roof. Why:

  • The membrane bonds directly onto the existing tiles after surface preparation, so no tile removal: less dust, no debris and a shorter programme.
  • The mineral granule finish withstands direct sun and can stay exposed without a protective screed.
  • The membrane has a service life of over 15 years. TECO MSC provides a 5-year all-inclusive workmanship warranty.

All quantities were carried out according to the BOQ agreed with the client.

Safety on the roof

  • The method statement and safety plan were approved by the factory before work started. All work met the factory’s occupational safety requirements.
  • At the start of every shift, the site supervisor briefed the crew on safety rules before they worked on the roof.
  • Workers wore high-visibility vests and hard hats throughout the work on the roof.
Site safety briefing for workers on the Compass II office roof by TECO MSC
Daily start-of-shift safety briefing on the roof.

Installation steps

Roof cleaning

Dust was blown off and oil, grease and standing water removed from the tile surface.

Drains and wall bases

Roof drains were locally waterproofed with dedicated materials. At the wall bases, old render was removed to a height of 300mm, then made good and coved with latex-modified mortar.

Primer

Solvent-based primer was applied at 0.3 kg/m² across the roof and wall bases and left to dry before the membrane was laid.

Old roof tiles primed (left) next to installed mineral-surfaced membrane (right)
Primed tiles (left), installed membrane (right).
Boundary between primed roof surface and torch-applied membrane, VSIP 1 office
Work proceeded area by area: prime, then membrane.

Torch application

The membrane was rolled out and torched from the lowest point upward, starting at the drains and working towards the opposite corner, so water always flows over the laps. Lap joints were torched and pressed tight.

Workers torch-applying mineral-surfaced bitumen membrane on the Compass II office roof
Torching the membrane onto the primed surface.
Torch-applying membrane along the parapet wall, fire extinguisher at the work area
Membrane along the parapet, with a fire extinguisher at the torching area.

Pipe penetrations, corners and upstands

Vent pipes and air-conditioning lines through the roof received extra reinforcing membrane. Laps, drains and wall corners were torched with extra care. The membrane was turned up the walls to 300mm.

Vent pipe penetration wrapped with reinforcing membrane, Lemax membrane roll on the roof
Vent pipe wrapped with reinforcing membrane.
Mineral-surfaced membrane turned up the parapet wall to 300mm
Membrane upstand to 300mm.

Inspection and warranty

Every lap, pipe penetration, drain and wall upstand was checked before inspection and handover to the client. The work carries a 5-year all-inclusive warranty.

Office roof of nearly 350m² completed with torch-applied mineral-surfaced membrane
The nearly 350m² roof after completion.

Related project: Factory Metal Roof Leak Repair, 1,800m² – VSIP 1.

Leaking office or factory roof? TECO MSC surveys on site, chooses the solution for the actual roof condition and issues a clear BOQ. See our Emergency Repair and On-Demand Maintenance services.

TECO MSC – the building maintenance division of TECO Architecture and Construction JSC.
Hotline: 0911 111 929