What an asphalt shingle re-roof actually involves
Asphalt is the default roof around here for good reason. It handles Ontario's freeze-thaw swings, it can be repaired in sections, and it goes on fast enough that most houses are stripped and watertight inside a couple of days. What separates a roof that lasts from one that doesn't is almost never the shingle itself — it's what happens underneath it.
Why we tear off to the deck
We tear off to the bare deck. Roofing over an existing layer is quicker and cheaper, and we will tell you honestly when a house can carry it, but it hides exactly the things worth finding: soft sheathing, split rafters, old flashing that was never sealed properly, and nail patterns that were wrong the first time. Once the deck is exposed we walk it, mark anything spongy, and replace the sheathing before we go further. That work gets shown to you rather than buried.
Eave protection, underlayment and flashing
Ice damming and eave protection
Ontario's climate does a specific kind of damage. Snow melts against a warm roof, runs down to the cold overhang past the heated wall, and refreezes — the ice dam backs water up under the shingles, where gravity stops helping you. Eave protection is the answer, and Ontario's building code requires it on most sloped roofs for exactly this reason. We run a self-adhering ice and water membrane along the eaves and into the valleys, which are the two places water is most likely to get pushed uphill.
Flashing, not caulking
Flashing is the other failure point. Chimneys, skylights, sidewalls, plumbing stacks and roof-to-wall transitions are where the vast majority of leaks start, and they leak because someone relied on caulking instead of metal. We replace flashing rather than reseal it. Caulk is a finish, not a waterproofing method, and it has a much shorter life than the roof it's holding together.
Ventilation, and why it decides how long the roof lasts
Intake at the soffits, exhaust at the ridge
A shingle roof is a system with the attic underneath it. If the attic can't breathe, warm damp household air condenses on the underside of the deck through winter and cooks the shingles from below through summer. You get premature curling, frost on the sheathing, and sometimes mould that has nothing to do with a leak. We look at intake at the soffits as well as exhaust at the ridge — adding ridge vent without clear intake is a common and expensive mistake, because the roof simply pulls its air from the house instead.
Shingles we install
We're BP Canada certified and install their shingles as standard, in both three-tab and architectural profiles. Architectural is what most homeowners choose now: heavier, dimensional, and better at hiding a deck that isn't perfectly flat. We'll bring samples to the quote so you can see them against your brick or siding in daylight rather than under showroom lighting.
What the job looks like from your driveway
Tarps go over the landscaping and against the walls before the first shingle comes off. Tear-off goes straight into our dump trailer rather than into a pile on your lawn, and the trailer leaves when we do. At the end we walk the roof and the yard with you and run a magnetic sweep for stray nails — twice if there's a driveway or a play area involved. On anything steep or high, the crew is tied off; that isn't negotiable regardless of how long the job takes.
Getting a price
We don't quote shingle roofs over the phone, and you should be wary of anyone who does. The price depends on the squares, the pitch, how many layers are coming off, how much deck needs replacing and what the flashing details look like — none of which are visible from a phone call. We come out, measure it, and leave you a written quote at no cost, with no obligation to book. If your roof has more life in it than you think, we'll say so — and quote you the repair instead.
Common questions
Do you roof over the existing shingles, or tear off?
We tear off to the bare deck as standard. Roofing over an existing layer is quicker and cheaper, and we will tell you honestly when a house can carry it, but it hides the things worth finding: soft sheathing, split rafters, old flashing that was never sealed properly, and nail patterns that were wrong the first time.
Why does eave protection matter on an Ontario roof?
Snow melts against a warm roof, runs down to the cold overhang past the heated wall, and refreezes. That ice dam backs water up under the shingles, where gravity stops helping you. We run a self-adhering ice and water membrane along the eaves and into the valleys, and Ontario's building code requires it on most sloped roofs for exactly this reason.
Does attic ventilation really affect how long shingles last?
Yes. If the attic can't breathe, warm damp household air condenses on the underside of the deck through winter and cooks the shingles from below through summer. You get premature curling, frost on the sheathing, and sometimes mould that has nothing to do with a leak. Adding ridge vent without clear soffit intake is a common and expensive mistake.
Will you quote a shingle roof over the phone?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. The price depends on the squares, the pitch, how many layers are coming off, how much deck needs replacing and what the flashing details look like — none of which are visible from a phone call. We come out, measure it, and leave you a written quote at no cost.
