Roof repairs and leaks, found at the source

What should you do if the roof is leaking right now?

1. Put a bucket or a bin under the drip and move furniture, electronics and rugs out of the way.
2. If water is near a light fixture or an outlet, switch that circuit off at the panel.
3. Stay off the roof, especially when it is wet or icy. Ontario requires roofers to be protected from falls "when working more than three metres (10 feet) above ground", and that training exists for a reason.^[1]
4. Take photos of the ceiling and anything damaged, for your insurer.
5. Call us at 647-686-7663. After-hours calls are welcome.

Where do roofs usually leak?

Water shows up on the ceiling, but it almost never gets in right above the stain. It runs along the deck or a rafter first. These are the places we check before we touch anything:

Where roof leaks usually start, and the usual fix

Spot	What fails	Usual fix
Chimney	Step and counter flashing pulls away or the sealant dries out	New step and counter flashing, and a cricket behind a wide chimney
Vents and pipes	The rubber boot around a plumbing stack cracks in the sun	New boot or vent, shingles reset around it
Valleys	Two slopes pour water into one line, which wears fastest	Ice and water membrane and new valley shingles or metal
Skylights	Flashing kit or seal around the frame	Reflash, or replace an old unit in the same opening
Eaves	Ice dams push meltwater back under the bottom courses	Ice and water protection at the eaves, plus attic venting so the dams stop forming
Open field	Shingles lifted or torn off by wind	Matching shingles sealed back in

Should you repair the roof or replace it?

A repair makes sense when the damage is in one place and the rest of the roof still has life in it. Replacement makes sense when the problems are everywhere. We will tell you which one we see, and the Province of Ontario suggests you ask any roofer for proof of the damage, such as photos.^[1]

Signs that point to a repair or to a new roof

What we find	Points to
One leak at a chimney, vent or skylight	Repair
A few shingles blown off in a storm	Repair
Curling, cracked or bald shingles across a whole slope	Replacement
Leaks in several places at once	Replacement
A soft, spongy deck when you walk it	Replacement with deck repairs

If it is a new roof, see roof replacement.

Where do we do roof repair?

Across our whole area: Brantford, Paris and the County of Brant, Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas and Waterdown, Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Cambridge.

What else do we do?

• Roof replacement Full tear-off to the deck and a complete new roof system, often in a single day.
• Roof inspections and maintenance A proper look at the roof and the attic before anyone quotes a price.
• Flat roofing Membrane roofs for garages, additions, porches and commercial buildings.
• Metal roofing Long-life metal roofs and cosmetic metal capping.
• Skylights New skylights, replacements in the same opening, and leak repairs.
• Eavestroughs, soffit and fascia Eavestroughs and downpipes, cleaning and repairs, soffit and fascia.
• Siding Vinyl, aluminum, fibre cement and engineered wood siding.