Tying a new roof into an existing one
Where the new roof plane meets the old wall or roof, water concentrates. That junction needs step flashing or a proper valley, membrane underneath, and a plan for how snow and ice will behave there.
It also needs continuity of ventilation and insulation. An addition with a sealed off attic space that cannot breathe will grow frost on the underside of the sheathing in January, then drip in March.
We plan those details in the drawings rather than on site, which is one of the advantages of our design and build being the same company.
Low slope sections and sunrooms
Additions often end up with a lower slope than the main house, and low slope in a snow climate needs different treatment. Shingles have a minimum slope, below which a membrane system is the correct choice.
Sunrooms and rear additions with shallow roofs are where we most often see the wrong system installed. It works for a couple of years, then the first serious ice build up finds the seams.
Snow slide is the other consideration. A new roof that dumps its load onto a walkway, a deck or the neighbour's side yard needs guards or a different geometry, decided before framing.
Garages, sheds and detached structures
Detached structures are simpler but not exempt from good practice. They still need underlay, drip edge, proper fastening and ventilation, and they still have to shed water away from the building rather than against it.
Where a garage sits close to the house, we plan where the water and snow from both roofs ends up, because between two buildings is a bad place for an ice sheet to form.
What a new roof installation quote includes
- Structure check: framing and sheathing spec for the new roof.
- System selection: shingles or membrane, matched to the slope.
- Tie in detail: flashing, membrane and valley treatment at the join.
- Ventilation: intake and exhaust for the new roof space.
- Snow management: where the load will slide and what protects it.
- Matching: shingle colour and profile matched to the existing roof.
Where new roof installation 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 repair, roof replacement, brick repair or stone masonry. One contract covers whichever combination you need, with a single schedule and one point of contact.
New Roof Installation 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.