What Canadian Winters Can Do To Your Roof

Canada is known for many things: scenic views, a diverse culture, and a thriving economy. But it’s also known for its cold winters. This means trouble for your roof if you haven’t implemented regular maintenance and repairs throughout the year.

Dangers Of Canadian Winters

Cold temperatures result in a wide range of issues that can lead to costly repairs. Understanding what Canadian winters can do to your roof will prepare you year after year so that you can enhance the lifespan and performance of your building’s roof.

What to Look For

Many roofs are wide and have low slopes. This makes it difficult for snow and debris to fall onto the ground. You should have your roof regularly inspected just before winter to ensure that there’s no risk in building up debris.

Older roofs are particularly vulnerable to the freezing and thawing cycles that occur during the winter months. This causes serious damage to the roof’s materials if you’re not prepared.

Inspect your roof’s flashings, drains, and tie-ins in order to identify any existing damage. Areas that have a high accumulation of snow should be addressed as soon as possible. This prevents water from entering any spaces that could lead to further cracking and leaks.

Common Issues During Canadian Winters

Flashings are used to protect the roof’s joints. They play a valuable role in keeping water from damaging your roof and property. Be sure to have your roof’s flashings inspected. They are typically located near skylights and chimneys.

Unfortunately the risk factors of winter risk factors doesn’t end there; Ice dams are another large problem for rooftops. If heat from your property’s interior reaches the roof, it can raise its temperature and increase the risk of ice dams. These form along the edge of your roof and keep water from flowing off of your property. If water becomes trapped on your roof, it will seep into the materials and eventually cause leaks and other damage.

Condensation can also form from the combination of warm and cold temperatures. Moisture leads to mould growth that can cause damage to materials, but this doesn’t just pose a structural risk; it also presents a health risk for occupants.

Getting the Right Help for Canadian Winters

Consulting with a professional roofing company will help you identify any existing risk factors. Damage to your roof or insulation can be difficult to detect with an untrained eye. A service professional provides a comprehensive assessment and program that keeps your property protected during the cold winter months.

Roofing professionals understand the issues that can result from extreme temperatures. They have the knowledge and equipment to maintain your roof safely, and inspect the waterproofing and insulation systems you have in place and make any necessary recommendations.

Protecting your roof during the Canadian winters is critical to maximizing its safety, performance, and lifespan. Regular maintenance and repair from a qualified service team saves you money over time and protects you and your occupants all year round.

4 Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Roof

Your roof is invaluable to the safety and lifespan of your building. Proper maintenance of your roof enhances its performance over time and prevents damage from factors such as extreme temperatures, debris, and mould.

Extend The Life Of Roof

A maintained roof helps reduce energy costs, protects your building’s occupants, and saves you money over time. Overlooking the needs of your roof can lead to serious damage that requires extensive and costly repairs.

Here are four ways to extend the life of your roof.

  1. Clear the Leaves From Your Roof

    If your building is in an area surrounded by trees, the roof will become covered with leaves as time goes on. This buildup prevents moisture from evaporating and causes the underlying materials to become compromised.

    Using a leaf blower to clear your roofs throughout the year will prevent the possible damage that could occur with a rake, but it’s best to hire a roofing professional to do the job. This will ensure the safety of the worker as well as the integrity of your roof.

  2. Maintain Your Gutters

    Leaves and other debris can make their way into the gutters around your property. When combined with excess moisture from rain, the leaves can increase in weight and put undue pressure on the gutters.

    In some cases, gutters become displaced and can lead to extensive damage. This also prevents the flow of water through the gutters and can cause excess moisture from flowing down the side of your building.

  3. Take steps to Prevent Ice Dams

    Colder temperatures can lead to ice dams on your roof. Formed ice should be treated carefully, as attempting to remove it on your own can damage the underlying roofing material. You can use an extending pole with a roof rake to loosen ice buildup.

    Ice dams are more prevalent on properties that have poor insulation. This should be corrected once the temperatures return to normal so that it’s easier to prevent ice dams the following winter.

  4. Regular Maintenance

    Regular roof maintenance is the best prevention against costly wear and damage. Consult with a roofing service professional to determine the best maintenance schedule for your building’s needs.

    Having a professional inspect and maintain your roof will ensure that all issues are addressed as soon as possible. Issues such as excessive moisture can easily be overlooked by an untrained person.

A professional roofing company can provide you with the proper inspection and repairs to extend the life of your roof. They’ll make sure that all drainage systems, counterflashing, and membranes are in excellent working order so that you have the safest and most reliable roof on your building. For more information, contact us today!

4 Steps To Proper Roof Safety

Proper roof safety is essential to keeping your roof in the best shape all year round. Many property owners fail to understand the safety requirements when inspecting their roofs.

Proper Roof Safety

A large number of rooftop accidents can be avoided by following a few key steps. This will prevent injury and protect you or any service professional who needs to access your rooftop for inspection or maintenance.

  1. Set Up a Safe Work Area

    Creating a safe work area around your roof is the first step in proper roof safety. Rooftops should only be accessed in ideal weather conditions to avoid other risks such as slipping. Rain and cold weather are factors that raise the safety risks of your roof.

    If you experience high levels of wind or heat, your roof may become vulnerable to damage. Keep this in mind when someone needs to inspect and maintain your roof.

    Individuals with little experience working on rooftops should avoid them altogether unless under the supervision of a professional. Not knowing proper safety measures or other rules and guidelines can create a hazard for the entire team working on your roof.

    You should also protect individuals on the ground by marking off the area that you’ll be working over. This protects any people passing by from falling debris or tools.

  2. Footwear

    Proper footwear is essential to roof safety. Shoes shouldn’t have any loose dirt or other debris on them. Before you or any service professional goes onto your roof for maintenance work, you should make sure that it’s been properly swept to remove any hazardous debris.

    Shoes should have rubber soles on them to provide a higher level of traction when walking on your roof.

  3. Basic Ladder Safety

    In some cases, rooftop service professionals will need to use a ladder to access your roof. Ladders should be long enough so that they extend above the edge of the roof and provide the proper support.

    The best ladders are made of fiberglass, which is easier to transport and protects you from electrical hazards when working near power lines. The ladder should be placed on a firm and level surface, and an anchor point should be used to secure it in place.

  4. Equipment Safety

    You can ensure proper roof safety by storing and maintaining your tools. They should be secured using ropes in order to keep them from falling, while smaller tools should be contained in a toolbox at all times.

    Roof brackets and safety harnesses should be used whenever possible. These will further protect you from any unwanted mishaps and prevent injury to you or nearby individuals.

    Proper roof safety is a vital component to maintaining your roof throughout the year. Putting these four steps in place will protect you and others when maintaining and repairing your building’s roof.

How Can You Clean Your Commercial Roof?

Cleaning your commercial roof provides a wide range of benefits to its performance, lifespan, and safety. Commercial roofs play a vital role in your business and need to be properly maintained over time.

Cleaning Commercial Roof

Roofs are exposed to extreme temperatures, debris, mould, and other environmental threats, and cleaning your roof is only one part of the maintenance required to protect your roof, building, and occupants over time.

Using the Right Products

The first step in cleaning your commercial roof is to ensure that the right products are used.

Cleaning products contain chemicals that are effective in treating the materials of your commercial roof, and the best products contain titanium dioxide to allow for the proper chemical reactions to take place. It’s also an effective element in refracting light on your roof, which can help improve its energy efficiency.

The Right Cleaning Process

In order to clean your commercial roof, you’ll need to find the right service professionals who understand the needs of your building. There is no one-size-fits-all cleaning solution to warehouses and other large buildings, and this allows you to apply the best treatment process for maximum results.

Mould, algae, and other debris are first broken down using products that have high pH levels. Once these are broken down, they’re washed away using a surface cleaner and solution using high temperatures. This leaves a clean finish to your roof and prevents future damage from occurring.

A treatment is then applied after the surface is cleaned to provide a long-lasting finish and enhance the look of your roof. This optimizes its reflective properties and maximizes the benefits you’ll receive from your investment.

Clean Your Roof Each Year

Maintaining your commercial roof shouldn’t end after a quality cleaning; it’s an ongoing process that requires you to observe any changes in its integrity. Be aware of any debris or mould growth that can lead to further damage as the earlier you detect these, the better off you and your building will be.

Your roofing service professionals can help you determine an effective maintenance schedule. An annual cleaning is recommended to provide you with a functional roof, but you’ll want to plan in advance, as cleanings are difficult during the colder winter months and are often dangerous for your roofing company to perform.

Benefits of Cleaning Your Commercial Roof

Cleaning your roof keeps its surface temperature low. This maximizes the lifespan of the roof’s membrane and helps reduce the costs associated with controlling the building’s temperature.

A clean roof allows cool air to enter through the HVAC system and provides significant energy savings to you.

Cleaning your roof also helps to expose any damage or needed repairs. When the roof is covered with dirt and debris, building owners can overlook the red flags that indicate the need for maintenance.

Regular cleaning makes it easy and less expensive to clean your roof in the future. A comprehensive roof maintenance program is one of the best investments you can make in the quality of your commercial roof.