Metal Roofing Blog

Whether you are searching for a roofing contractor in Toronto to complete a brand new installation, repair damaged shingles or carry out routine maintenance, there are a number of questions you should ask before agreeing to hire them and setting up an appointment for the work to be carried out. These questions will help you weed out the less reputable roofing contractors and ensure you hire a contractor that will be able to do exactly what they say they will. As one of the leading roofing contractors in Toronto and Mississauga these are questions we receive on a daily basis and are more than happy to spend some time answering.

Top Questions to Put to Toronto Based Roofing Contractors

How Many Years Have You Been in the Roofing Industry?

While roofing contractors that have only been operating in the area for a year or two shouldn’t be immediately ruled out, longevity is a good indicator of good work. London Eco-Roof was started in 2009 and we have quickly become the company to call for a metal roofing installation in Toronto and Mississauga.

Will You Remove My Old Roof?

If you are having a brand new roof installed (we would strongly advise you to consider a steel roofing installation) one of the most important questions you need to ask is: Will you remove and dispose of my old roof and all waste materials? You don’t want to have a pile of old shingles and other roof materials piles up in a corner of your yard and no means to dispose of them. Good roofing contractors will bring a refuse container to put this waste in as it is taken off the roof. London Eco-Roof is committed to customer satisfaction and that means we always leave the site in a condition you are happy with.

How Will My Gutters Be Protected While the Work is Being Done?

It’s all too easy to focus all your attention on the roof and forget about other elements of your home that need to be protected. Roofing contractors should use ladder stabilizers and/or standoffs for any type of roofing work, which ensures the actual weight of the ladder is not pressed against your gutter.

Do You Subcontract Out Any of the Work?

Ideally, the roofing contractor you choose shouldn’t subcontract out any part of your roofing project since their skill, level of experience and reputation will be unknown to you. What’s the point of carefully sifting through the many roofing contractors that operate in Toronto and the surrounding areas, only for them to then pass the job onto someone you didn’t choose? At London Eco-Roof you will only ever work with our team.

Do You Possess Workman’s Compensation Insurance?

This is a special type of insurance that protects you in case one of the roofers gets injured at your property, as it covers all associated medical costs. Some roofing contractors avoid paying workman’s compensation insurance, since it is not cheap, but unfortunately accidents do happen and if the roofing contractor you decide to work with doesn’t have this insurance, you could have to cover the costs of medical treatment. We, of course, do possess this insurance.

And What About General Liability Insurance?

Roofing contractors that don’t have this should instantly be crossed off your list, since you would be liable for any accidental damage that the contractor caused. Don’t just take their work for it either as some roofing contractors have been known to lie. Instead, ask if they could send you a copy of their insurance policy. This is something that London Eco-Roof would be more than happy to do.

Tell Me About the Warranty You Offer on Your Work?

You should always look for a contractor that will offer you at least a 25 year warranty when you have a new roof installed. London Eco-Roof offers some of the best warranties around; an incredible 55 years on all steel roofing products.

Do You Offer Written Estimates?

Agreeing to hire roofing contractors without first receiving a written estimate is one of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make and can result in you being charged fees you cannot afford. When making initial enquiries, ask all roofing contractors for a written estimate. Also, before putting pen to paper on a contract, ensure it includes the total cost for the removal of the old roof, the installation of the new roof as well as timescales for the project.
London Eco-Roof operates in Toronto and Mississauga and since 2009 has been the leading manufacturer and installer of metal roofs. In addition to handling metal roof installations we also take care of repair and maintenance work, delivering a quality of service that has surpassed the expectations of hundreds of clients.

Call us today to talk about metal roof installations.

If it is obvious that your roof is in a state of disrepair (i.e. there is water leaking inside, roof shingles are missing and/or severely worn) or you have had several professional roofing contractors have a look at it and tell you that it needs replacing, the first decision you need to make will be to choose whether to have a tear-off job done and start again from scratch, or to opt for an overlay instead. A tear-off job involves completely stripping the roof right down to the wood decking and installing a brand new roof, while when an overlay job is done, new shingles are simply applied to the existing roof. Which option is better is a highly debated topic in the roofing industry, with most roofing contractors agreeing that it’s impossible to discover whether a roof has “weak” spots without completely stripping it down, and by simply overlaying it you are risking serious structural damage to the property in order to avoid the short-term investment a new installation would require. As the leading metal roofing installation experts in Toronto and Mississauga, this is something we are frequently asked about and during this article we are going to discuss the merits of opting for a new installation over an overlay.

Benefits of a Brand New Metal Roofing Installation

We of course specialize in metal roofing, but these benefits apply to any type of new roofing installation. Remember that the only real advantage of overlaying your existing roof is that you will save money in the short term. You should, however, never base your decision on the cost alone, and a new metal roofing installation will:

• Allow for a Thorough Inspection – By removing the existing roofing materials, roofing contractors are able to thoroughly inspect the deck, valley, the areas where the roof connects to the walls, and the areas that surround the roofing penetrations. It is possible that any of the materials used in these areas could have fallen victim to water damage and rot, which could compromise the stability of the roof if not replaced. It would not be possible to inspect this area if the roof was simply overlaid.
• Ensure Presence of an Underlayment – It could be possible that when your current roof was installed, the shingles were installed directly onto the decking without an underlayment. If your current roof is left in place it will be impossible to install the missing underlayment, which helps to keep moisture out of your home and helps to prevent shingles cracking and buckling as a result of the fluctuating Toronto temperatures.
• Avoid Adding Weight – While a metal roofing installation is known for its lightweight and strength, when an existing roof is overlaid the overall weight of the roof is doubled, exerting more pressure on the rafters. This means your roof is more likely to bow or sag. It would only take particularly heavy snowfall during winter, which is possible in Toronto, to cause the roof on your property to completely collapse. Remember that asphalt and concrete shingles absorb moisture too!
• Heat Shortens Roof’s Lifespan – A double layer of shingles will improve the insulation of your roof, which may sound like a good thing. However, this results in your attic becoming significantly warmer, and exaggerating the contraction and movement of shingles to such an extent that they don’t often reach their expected lifespan. The increase in your attic’s temperature could also cause your air-conditioning bills to skyrocket during the summer months, when temperatures can climb above 30 degrees Celsius in Toronto.
• Valleys Will Be Properly Flashed – Any roofing contractor in Toronto or Mississauga will tell you that the most vulnerable part of any roof is the valleys. The underlayment will offer a certain level of protection to valleys, but it’s vital that flashing is also installed to protect your home against leaks. If you opt for a new metal roofing installation, the roofing contractors you work with will be able to fit new flashing, but on an overlay job that isn’t usually possible.

If you are considering a new metal roofing installation and would like further information about the products and services that we offer,

Contact London Eco-Roof today for metal roofing installation questions

As the surface of your home that faces the greatest exposure to the elements, when having a roof installed the specifics — such as the shape and the materials that are used to construct it — need to be considered very, very carefully, as these aspects of your roof will have a significant impact on its longevity. The truth is though that the average homeowner doesn’t actually give as much consideration to these factors as they should, and the vast majority just tend to go with what is seen as the “norm,” which these days is a Hip or Gable style roof with asphalt or concrete shingles. However, we would advise against following the masses or selecting your new roof based on price alone. As the leading metal roofing manufacturers in Toronto and Mississauga, we would strongly advise you to consider a steel roofing installation, which offers a considerable number of benefits.

The Benefits of Choosing a Steel Roofing Installation

You may hear many building contractors say that asphalt shingles are “king” when it comes to the residential housing market, and based on the sheer number of installations, they are not wrong. It’s estimated that more than 80 percent of roofs in North America are built using asphalt shingles. However, this is largely due to convenience if not anything else, with asphalt shingles being cheap to purchase, easy to install and relatively attractive. In terms of performance though, asphalt roofs cannot compete with a steel roofing installation, which offers the following benefits:

Extremely Lightweight

The framework that is built for the roof, in addition to your property’s walls and foundations, needs to be able to support your new roof, otherwise the roof may begin to sag, or even worse, exert so much pressure that the core structure of the property is compromised. When standard roofing materials are used, the roof can weigh several tons. A steel roofing installation is extremely lightweight by comparison, weighing just a ton on an average sized home in Toronto or Mississauga.

Do Not Absorb Water

Unlike asphalt shingles or concrete shingles, a steel roofing installation is impervious to water, meaning that when it rains, the weight of your roof does not increase. Since annual rainfall in the Greater Toronto Area is relatively high, this is a huge advantage. Just to make this clear, a steel roofing installation will always be approximately the same weight, whether wet or dry, while other standard types of roof can increase in weight by as much as 10%, putting extra pressure on your property’s roof supports and foundations.

Unrivalled Longevity

One of the main reasons to choose a steel roofing installation is the fact that they can outlast other types of roofing by decades, making them by far the most cost efficient solution available. London Eco-Roof offers a 55 year warranty on all steel roofing products, while the vast majority of concrete or asphalt roofs come with a 20 to 30 year warranty.

Reduces Heating & Cooling Costs

Another way in which a steel roofing installation is more cost efficient than other types of roofs is through its ability to reduce your heating and cooling bills. How does it do this? Rather than storing heat energy as the sun’s UV rays hit your roof, this heat energy is reflected, meaning your roof naturally cools down much quicker, reducing your dependence on air conditioning units during the sweltering summer months we enjoy here in Toronto. A steel roofing installation will also typically come with a superior R-Value, which is how a material’s ability to insulate is graded, to both asphalt and concrete. So in addition to reducing cooling costs, your heating costs in the winter are lowered too.

Minimal Maintenance Required

Once your steel roofing installation is complete, there’s really very little to do other than let it do its thing. The rainwater will naturally wash its surface down and keep it looking visually attractive, and steel roofs don’t utilize any bonding agents to secure it in place like shingles do, which may weaken over time. This minimizes the chances of the roof getting damaged to virtually zero, unlike traditional roofs where shingles often crack and become loose .

Unlimited Design Possibilities

If you are picturing the kind of big, ugly tin type roofs that you see on warehouses across the country when you think of a steel roofing installation, you couldn’t be more wrong. Many homeowners are surprised at just how beautiful these things are. Steel roofs can be designed in a vast range of styles and colours and the experts at London Eco-Roof can help you come up with the perfect design to fit in with the other architectural elements of your home. It’s a material that can be manipulated to suit either a modern style home or something more classic.
A new roof is a significant investment and London Eco-Roof’s only goal is to help you make the right decision. In the past 4 years we have successfully completed hundreds of different orders in the Toronto and Mississauga areas, and our products offer an exceptional blend of affordability, quality and visual beauty.

For further information on steel roofing installation call us today

A steel roofing installation has to be constructed and installed in a specific way for it to be able to offer all the benefits that are commonly associated with this type of roofing, which is why it’s important to carefully select the roofing contractors you work with. Less reputable roofing contractors will cut corners at every opportunity in order to maximize the amount of money they collect from your project, which will affect both the roof’s performance and its lifespan. How exactly is a steel roofing installation put together though? What are the various components that combine to create the finished thing? Every team member at London Eco-Roof has an in-depth knowledge of these components and we are going to outline some of the main ones in this article today.

A Guide to the Core Components of a Steel Roofing Installation

Whether you are located in Toronto, Mississauga or any other part of the country, a steel roofing installation is a great option, both in terms of aesthetics and its ability to resist a range of different weather conditions. The fact that a steel roofing installation will also almost always outlast (we offer a 55 year warranty) traditional asphalt and concrete roofs is another reason why so many Canadian homeowners are having them installed. Some of the main parts of a steel roofing installation include:

Steel Roofing Substructure

Before a steel roof can be installed, the top surface of your property must be properly prepared with an appropriate substructure. The substructure’s role is to form a solid foundation on which the steel roof can be installed upon. It also adds another weatherproof layer that helps to prevent moisture from getting into your home, increases insulation and soundproofs your property. This substructure will typically be made up of an underlay, battens and ventilation strips.

Steel Roofing Surface Structure

• Roof Sheets/Panels/Tiles – Whatever you want to call them, the steel sheets/panels/tiles are by far the most visible elements of a steel roofing installation and form the first line of defence in protecting your home from rain, wind and snow. Due to their prominent position and the size of the roofing structure, they also play an important role in the aesthetics of your home.
• Valley Flashing – Valleys are commonly formed on many types of roofs and are where two sections of a roof meet at an angle. Valley flashing is installed to protect your property against unwanted leaks and it’s essential this is done correctly since the valleys are the most vulnerable part of a roofing structure.
• Eaves Flashing – Similarly, the eaves — the edge of the building (usually juts out past exterior walls) — need to be fitted with metallic flashing, which helps to protect your property against water back-up.
• Ridge Capping – On a steel roofing installation that has sloping sides that meet in the middle, the “ridge” has to be capped, which protects this joint from the elements and improves the aesthetics of the roof. Oftentimes a vent will be installed on the ridge cap to improve the ventilation of the property.
• Snow Guards – Due to the amount of snowfall that Toronto and surrounding areas can receive during the winter months, snow guards are often an important addition to a steel roofing installation. They prevent large amounts of frozen precipitation from just sliding off your roof and potentially causing damage or hurting someone. Instead, the snow or ice is suspended on your roof until it either melts completely or thaws out enough for small pieces to safely drop off.
• Verge Trims – These are fitted to the edges of your roof, helping to waterproof your property and facilitate the flow of rainwater into your gutters. They need to be carefully chosen to complement the rest of the roof.
• Rainwater System – Gutters and downspouts play a vital role in helping protect your roof and property from rainwater. As it hits the roof’s surface, the rainwater is directed to the gutters, which feed downspouts that safely deposit the water away from your home’s foundations and slow down the weathering process.

A steel roofing installation is a relatively new concept, at least in the eyes of most homeowners, and if you have any questions relating to the installation process or the benefits of choosing a steel roof over other options, contact our team today.

Contact us to find out why steel roofing installation is top notch

If, after weighing the pros and cons of a metal roofing installation against other options, you have decided that a metal roof is the best choice, you now need to spend some time thinking about the type of metal you would like your roof to be made from in addition to the type of panels used to build it. The vast majority of residential metal roofing installations are constructed using either steel or aluminum due to the range of favorable characteristics these materials possess, but copper, zinc and titanium may also be used. London Eco-Roof is the leading metal roofing company in Toronto and Mississauga, producing roofs that offer the perfect combination of performance, aesthetics and affordability. During this article we are going to take a look at some of the different types of metal roofing installations, in addition to metal roof panel types.

Metal Roofing Installation Tips: Materials and Panel Types

Steel Roofing Installations:

Steel is probably the most commonly chosen material when a metal roofing installation is requested, with one of its major advantages being its strength relative to its weight. Steel roofs are extremely light, weighing only 1.5 lbs per square foot compared to 2.7 lbs for asphalt shingles and 9.3 lbs for concrete roof tiles, meaning less pressure is exerted on both the roof supports and your property’s foundations. During the production process a special metallic coating is applied to steel roofing to protect it against corrosion. This is applied before the roofing is given its final paint finish, and will usually be either galvanized (this is a 100% zinc coating) or Galvalume/Zincalume (which are mixtures of zinc and aluminum). When galvanizing a steel roofing installation a minimum thickness level of G-90 should be applied, with AZ-50 or AZ-55 the minimum for Galalume/Zincalume, according to the Metal Roofing Association (MRA). When these coatings react with moisture in the air they oxidize, forming a zinc oxide that has no affect on the appearance of the roofing. A steel roofing installation often represents extremely good value when compared to other options.

Aluminum Roofing Installations:

Aluminum roofs are produced in much the same way as steel roofs, except they don’t require the metallic coating since aluminum possesses its own oxide film, protecting it against corrosion. An aluminum roof will often cost you more than a steel roofing installation due to its natural ability to resist rust (which we just mentioned), and this type of metal roofing installation tends to be very popular in environments where salt is a factor, such as near the coast. Aluminum’s strength-weight ratio is even more impressive than that of steel and it is also generally thinner too (thickness ratings range from .023 to .040), allowing it to cool down quicker.

Copper Roofing Installations

If you are seeking a roof with a striking presence, a copper roof might just be the way to go. However, in addition to being one of the most interesting roofing materials in terms of aesthetics, it’s also one of the most expensive. It can also be prone to expanding and contracting as temperatures fluctuate, which could be an issue if you live in the Greater Toronto Area. Having said that, from a performance standpoint, copper scores highly. It’s resistant to fire, wind and water damage and tends to last decades once installed.

The Different Types of Metal Roofing Installation Panels

In addition to the possibility of using various metals in the construction of a metal roof, the way the roof is constructed can vary too. We are going to briefly look at a couple of the most popular types of metal roofing constructions.

Vertical Seam Panels

Vertical seam panels, also known as standing seam roofing, can immediately be told apart from other types of metal roofing panels due to their long length and ribs that stretch right from the eaves to the ridge of the roof. They are secured using gasket type screws and offer a very clean, simplistic look that is efficient at resisting the local weather conditions experienced in Toronto and Mississauga.

Modular Press Panels

These panels interlock with one another — often four ways — and hidden fasteners may be utilized to fully secure them into place. They are renowned for offering an impressive level of wind resistance and can be designed to mimic traditional roofing materials, such as slate or tile.
If you have any enquiries relating to a metal roofing installation, London Eco-Roof is the company to contact. Since we began in 2009, we have fast become the leading metal roofing contractors in Toronto and Mississauga, offering an unparalleled level of service.

Contact us today to set up a free consultation on metal roofing installation.