How many layers of black paper can you get on a roof?

Wow, what a nightmarish move that was... yes, we've up and moved house, so I haven't been blogging lately. And I don't really want to ponder questions that came up while moving... so on to brighter things.

Yesterday I was sitting in my new living room watching men mow the roof of the building next to me. Yes, I said mow, as in cut down the green mossy growth. There was a veritable meadow on top of that building, bit of a drainage problem maybe?

Today I am sitting and watching more men take layers and layers of black paper - with a lot of dust on them - off the roof. Every time they seem to be finished taking off the black paper and they grab brooms to brush the brown dust around, they find more paper! And then they stop and rip up more paper. And then they start dusting again. How many layers are there on a single flat roof?

Oh yay, it seems to be getting a bit cool out there, they've put their shirts back on! I may just be getting older, but there was nothing good about bare torsos on those guys, that looks much better now. Of course now they are removing something with a sander that is throwing up lots of smokey white dust, so we've closed all our windows.

And they've found more paper!

And I've found an interesting entry in Wickipedia explaining problems with flat roofs. Yes, that would be why the roof was so green, lack of drainage. That can be quite the extreme problem in Vancouver. Now I get to watch to see if they put down a single sheet coating like the article suggests... and level it so the water runs off... I guess time will tell on that last part!

So many new things to ponder in my new home! This could be fun!

Post Script: Nope, no leveling. Nope, no single sheet coating... and boy does the dip in the middle of the roof look more like it's going to be a water feature, and not a roof to keep the rain out. I guess we will be seeing much more green in the months to come!