Nothing puts a damper on the holidays like having Santa and his reindeer come crashing through the worn and rotting roof of your house on Christmas Eve. That’s a clatter that will have you and the neighbours rushing to see what’s the matter.
For the last 4 years, Joe Malec and his team of roofers at London Eco-Roof have been replacing traditional shingled roofs with tough, durable and attractive steel and aluminum roofs. Fully guaranteed for 50 years – no matter how many people own the house during that time – metal roofs are vastly superior to traditional asphalt shingles in every way.
“People are tired of buying shingles rated for 20 or 35 years and being right back in the same place, needing to replace them, 7 or 12 years later,” says Malec. “Fifty per cent of the roofs we replace are leaking. It’s not just that water gets into the house, but it gets the insulation wet and eventually develops into mould. Once you have that, it’s very expansive to get rid of, and most people don’t even know they are breathing it every day.”
“Shingles just don’t stand up to the weather, “ he says. “We get hotter weather in the summer now and stronger storms year-round. Shingles just don’t last in that harsh environment, and that’s why so many people are switching to metal roofs.”
When steel roofs first were available, there were a bit like Model T Fords. You could have any colour so long as it was black. Today, London Eco-Roof offers 17 colours, some in steel and some in aluminum. New for 2013 is Nova, a copper/gold aluminum colour that is already attracting orders.
“The range of colours is amazing, “ Malec says. “People think about the colour of their roofs now the same way they consider the colour of their front door or siding. It’s a design element of their home.”
Earlier this year, the company opened a showroom at 1682 Dundas St. Homeowners can go and see all the colours displayed to get an accurate idea of what their roofs might look like.
When Malec created the business, his goal was to provide steel roofs at an affordable cost, a price point that would make steel roofs a legitimate alternative for homeowners who normally would opt for asphalt shingles. Steel does cost a bit more than shingles, although over the course of their lifetime, they are much less expensive given how long they last.
Prices start at $4.80/square foot. London Eco-Roof has an exclusive arrangement with the TD Bank to provide “top secret savings,” as Malec likes to say. “We can help people get the financing they need to do their roof. That’s not a problem.”
In the last six years, Malec and his team have installed hundreds of roofs in and around London. Every roof they do serves as a referral because neighbours are always interested in what’s happening next door, how they can save over time on their own roofs.
“Word of mouth has been terrific for us, “ Malec says. “I want to thank all of our customers for telling their friends about us. We truly appreciate it and will continue providing the best products and service in London.”
Published in the London Free Press, Enterprise section on December 10, 2012
