Ice damming, the Ottawa specialty
Heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the roof surface. That meltwater runs down, hits the cold overhang beyond the heated space, and freezes. The ridge of ice that builds up then backs water up under the shingles and into the ceiling below.
You cannot fix that with shingles alone. The fix involves attic insulation depth, soffit and ridge ventilation, and sealing the air leaks that are letting warm house air up there in the first place.
Bathroom fans venting into the attic instead of outside are one of the most common contributors we find, particularly in 1970s and 1980s homes through Nepean and Gloucester.
Flashing, vent boots and valleys
Where the roof meets something else is where it leaks. Chimneys, walls, skylights, plumbing stacks and valleys are the usual suspects, and most of them are flashing details rather than shingle failures.
Rubber vent boots crack with UV and cold cycling, usually after ten to fifteen years here, and they are a cheap fix that prevents an expensive one.
Where the deck underneath has already been wet for a while, sheathing gets replaced before new material goes on. Patching over soft sheathing is how the same repair comes back.
Repair or replace?
If the shingles still have life and the problem is localised, repair is the right call and we will say so. If the roof is at the end of its service life, repairing one section is money you spend twice.
We give you the age assessment honestly and, where a roof replacement is the better value, we tell you rather than selling you a series of patches.
What a roof repair quote includes
- Cause diagnosis: where the water is actually entering.
- Attic assessment: insulation, ventilation and air sealing notes.
- Scope of repair: shingles, flashing, boots or sheathing.
- Interior damage: ceiling and drywall repair priced if wanted.
- Life expectancy: honest assessment of remaining roof life.
- Warranty: one year workmanship on the repair.
Where roof repair sits in the bigger job
This work is part of our general contractor service, so it can run on its own or as one stage inside a larger project. When it is part of a bigger renovation we sequence it with the other trades rather than treating it as a standalone visit.
Clients booking this often pair it with roof replacement, new roof installation, brick repair or stone masonry. One contract covers whichever combination you need, with a single schedule and one point of contact.
Roof Repair across the Ottawa area
We take this work on throughout the greater Ottawa area. Recent jobs have run through Nepean, Merivale, South Keys, Kanata and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The consultation is free wherever you are in the city.