Roofing Questions

If you own a home or business, you might have questions about roofing maintenance. If you’re concerned about your roof, don’t wait until it’s leaking to get it repaired. Dwight’s Roofing serves the greater Edmonton area, and we are happy to answer all your roof-related questions.

Why is ventilation an important factor when installing my roof?

Ventilation is a crucial factor in the life of your roof. Built-up heat in your home during the summer and cold weather, such as rain and snow in the winter, will accelerate the aging process of your shingles. Proper air circulation, regardless of outside temperatures, will significantly reduce the chances of your roof leaking due to the roof deck curling, blistering, rotting, or wet insulation.

What is ice damming, and how does it occur?

Ice dams occur when melting snow continually thaws and refreezes. As snow on the roof melts, water runs under the existing snow and refreezes at the bottom edge of the roof. This process repeats, forming pools of water against the built-up ice dams and refreezes, growing into larger chunks of ice. The ice works its way up under the shingles on your roof deck and eventually leaks into your house. The leading cause of ice dams is heat escaping from your home. Insufficient attic insulation allows the heated air of the attic to escape and reach the underside of the roof deck, creating condensation, and inadequate attic ventilation or insufficient ventilation prevents moisture from escaping from your attic. Here are some ways to prevent ice damming on your roof:

• Install an ice and water shield membrane on your eaves, valleys, side walls, and chimneys.
• To protect the roof deck, install a peel-and-stick membrane under your shingles, such as an ice and water shield.
• Top up your attic insulation to building code requirements – R50/18″ of pink insulation is the standard and required minimum.
• Improve your attic ventilation by adding more vents at soffits and required air vents.
• Ensure your eavestroughs are cleaned regularly and sloped properly so water doesn’t pool in them.

If I am getting roof quotes, what are some of the questions I should ask my contractor?

• How long have you been in business?
• Do you have recent or past references?
• Do you have service people should any issues occur?
• Do you have liability insurance?
• Does WCB insurance cover your workers?
• What safety courses have your workers passed, and do they have certificates to prove this?

We believe an educated customer is our best customer.

What are some of the warranties Dwight’s Roofing provides?

Our warranties are truly valuable because Dwight’s Roofing has been in the Edmonton roofing business for a long time. We stand behind our workmanship warranties 100%.

• Our standard workmanship warranty is five years. If anything were incorrectly installed, it would become evident in the first rain or wind.
• Because of our expertise, we can offer various additional shingle warranty programs from the manufacturers. We are approved, certified installers from IKO, Malarkey, and BP. Because of this, we can offer extended warranties and better coverage than would generally come with a normal shingle purchase. Please get in touch with us for complete details on these warranties.

Should I switch from a Cedar roof to an asphalt roof?

Due to the rising Cedar prices, many people have been told that switching to asphalt is no problem. Some important factors should be considered:

• What are your neighbourhood’s architectural requirements? Many times, communities want to maintain uniformity or a look that will keep property values elevated.
• Cedar has an R-value. If you remove this from your rooftop, it will be very important to address the insulation and ventilation in your attic. Removing the insulation barrier from the outer layer of your roof system will result in heat build-up in your attic, which will cause uncomfortableness in the summer and ice damming in the winter.
• Many factors contribute to whether or not switching to asphalt would be a good idea, such as your home’s design, whether you have vaulted ceilings, and which direction your home faces. We are happy to meet with you to discuss what would work best for your roof system.