Keith Wagland from Toronto

I early November 2014, I retained W Roofing to repair the roof on a narrow, one hundred year old three storey house in downtown Toronto. Facing East, the roof consisted of a tall pointed octagon complete with wide sloping eaves, all on a steeply pitched downslope. Over the winter, snow and ice always collected between the octagon and a brick chimney, forming an ice dam. The ice crept up under both siding and shingles, thereby, over time, rotting many wooden boards in the original structure. There were recurring leaks, particularly on the North side. The solution was to partially remove the overhanging eaves in two places in order to increase fivefold the space available for the snow to collect, thereby reducing the possibility for an ice dam. This increased the ability of the snow to melt and flow naturally to eavestroughs and downspouts. Many underlying boards in the original roof had to be replaced. The whole roof had to be reclad in plywood covered with 'ice and water shield' before new asphalt shingles could be installed. The work was all done under the most difficult and dangerous working conditions. W Roofing, under Walters direction, did the job efficiently, on time and on budget. I was impressed by, and even enjoyed, the whole process. Keith Wagland Architect. November 2014