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Project Context
The project involved completing the roof of a custom-designed sauna nestled in the woods of North Vancouver and oriented toward the ocean. The homeowner—an architect—created a highly intentional space where architecture, natural surroundings, and construction details all mattered. Vantage Roofing was brought in by Best Builders to deliver a clean, durable SBS roofing system that respected the design while providing dependable waterproofing for a structure continuously exposed to West Coast moisture and changing conditions.
Services delivered included:
Mechanically fastened 3/16″ SOPRABOARD with appropriate screws and plates to create the substrate.
Installation of a Soprema two-ply SBS membrane roofing system for durable, low-slope waterproofing.
A 2-inch gravel stop along three sides of the roof for a clean perimeter termination.
Dedicated eave flashing designed to direct rainwater properly into the gutter.
This was not a conventional house or typical flat-roof installation; the sauna’s forested, ocean-facing setting made the building’s relationship with its environment central to the design. North Vancouver’s coastal climate—moisture, rainfall, surrounding vegetation, and changing weather—required a roofing solution that could perform reliably under continuous exposure. Because the homeowner is an architect, execution of details was particularly important: the roofing system needed to remain visually clean and understated while performing an essential waterproofing role behind the architecture. The opportunity was to show that even a compact roof deserves the same level of thought and craftsmanship as a much larger project.
For a custom project like this, the roofing contractor needed to be comfortable working within an architectural vision and alongside an experienced builder. Best Builders brought Vantage Roofing into the project to complete the specialized SBS roofing work, relying on our experience with two-ply membrane systems to provide a solution appropriate for the low-slope design while maintaining the clean detailing the project called for. It was a collaborative project where precision mattered more than scale, and Vantage Roofing’s track record with Soprema two-ply SBS systems made us a natural fit.
We approached the sauna roof as a complete waterproofing assembly, beginning with substrate preparation and ending with precise edge and drainage details. The roof was prepared with mechanically fastened 3/16″ SOPRABOARD, creating the appropriate base for the new membrane system.
A Soprema two-ply SBS system was then installed to provide durable protection against the wet coastal environment. Around three sides of the roof, a 2-inch gravel stop was incorporated to create a clean perimeter termination, and at the drainage edge, dedicated eave flashing was installed to guide rainwater directly into the gutter. Each component was kept deliberate and uncomplicated so the roofing would quietly complement the architecture rather than compete with it.
The finished sauna is a small structure in an extraordinary setting—and the roof does exactly what a well-designed roof should do: protect the space without distracting from it. Nestled among the trees and overlooking the ocean, the sauna now has a purpose-built SBS roofing system designed for its location, its architecture, and the realities of the West Coast climate.
For Vantage Roofing, this project reinforced that memorable roofing work isn’t always measured in square footage; sometimes it’s a carefully detailed roof on a secluded sauna, built in collaboration with talented professionals, where craftsmanship becomes part of a much larger architectural experience.