The easiest and safest way to inspect your roof is from the ground with a pair of binoculars. Try to do this at least once a year. While performing this inspection ask yourself the following questions: Does anything look out of place/odd? Are there any shingles missing, nails/flashing coming loose? Also, look for things like tree limbs overhanging your roof. Make sure to have these limbs cut back, as they provide easy access for animals, which could damage your roof.

Aside from ensuring that overhanging tree limbs are always cut back a safe distance from your roof, you’ll want to clean the gutters/eavestroughs at least twice a year. Once in the spring, and once in the fall. Remove all leaves and debris, also checking for toys, tennis balls, etc. These items are more common than you might think. If there are alot of trees in your neighbourhood, you may want to do this every few months. Also, be sure to check your downspouts. This can be done by simply tapping the downspouts(in various areas) and listening for a hollow sound. A hollow sound is good and ensures the downspouts are free of clogs. This will help to establish proper water drainage.

Yes, you can, but when you have the urge to do so, sit back, have an iced tea, and let the urge pass. Many roofs are damaged by homeowners, and even contractors, who do not understand how to walk on roofs/shingles properly. Our best suggestion would be to stay off the roof completely. If you are hanging Christmas lights, do so from a sturdy ladder with the help of a friend(holding it securely from the bottom), and fasten your lights to the eavestroughs/gutters. For any other reason, call a roofing professional like Turnbull Roofing & Renovations Ltd. It will save you time, money and possibly injury.

Most leaks can be repaired and don’t require the immediate replacement of the entire roof –depending on the age of the roof. Leaks found on a home with a roof 10yrs or newer should be fixable. If the roof is older you may want to consider re-doing the leaking section(s).

No. Most roofing surfaces should NOT be power washed. This can damage the integrity of the roof and lead to leaking/damages.

A roof “pitch” is the slope of the roof. Slopes that are steep are dangerous and difficult to work on. Extra safety precautions are required and the work is usually more time consuming.

The term “flashing”, when used in roofing, are building components (ie: metal, roll roofing, rubber or tar) used to prevent water seepage into a building, around any intersection, or projection in a roof. Such as vent pipes, chimneys, adjoining walls, dormers and valleys.

A gable is the upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof.

A gable roof is a type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each side of the ridge. It contains a gable at each end.

A dormer is a type of roof gable that is usually built at right angles to the main roof structure. It is used as an architectural detail or to increase headroom.

The soffit is the external area underneath the overhang of a roof. The soffit gives your home a finished look and provides ventilation into your roof through the soffit vents/perforated soffit. It helps to prevent moisture build-up, mould, mildew, and heat damage to your attic. Air is sucked in through the soffits (soffit vents), circulating in the attic, and then exits via the roof vents on top of the roof. A properly ventilated soffit helps to improve the thermal performance of your home. Keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Fascia is the board that trims the edge of your roof. It also refers to the aluminum that clads the actual wooden fascia board. The eavestrough is attached to the fascia/fascia board.

Eavestrough is the channel that collects water from the roof. Standard residential eaves is usually 5” seamless pre-painted aluminum; although, sizes vary from 4”-6”, and materials range from galvanized steel, to plastic or copper.

A skylight is basically a window installed in a roof allowing natural light to illuminate a room. They can be fixed or ventilating.

Ventilation is the act of moving air. A roof vent uses the natural force of wind and pressure to drive out stagnant air from an attic. Poor ventilation will cause a roof to age prematurely.

There are many different kinds of vents. The most common is called a static vent. They vary in size and materials and resemble a mushroom cap. They tend to be the most reliable form of roofing ventilation, as they are fixed/static(with no working or moving parts). Another common vent is a turbine(or whirlybird), which come in 10”, 12” and 14”, respectively. The turbine rotates by force of the wind; moreover, it generates suction and gently pulls the hot air out of the attic. There are also power vents, which resemble large static vents, but do require hook up by an electrician. These vents can be set to a thermostat and run automatically when temperatures inside the attic hit pre-set levels. Generally, more ventilation is had by a turbine or power vent; however, they do tend to be the riskier option considering the moving parts. Exhaust vents, such as for a bathroom or kitchen fan, should always be vented outside of the attic.