This past week brought the heaviest stretch of rain that Toronto has seen since torrential downpours flooded the Don Valley Parkway in 2013. Woodbine Beach was flooded up to the volleyball courts, the Toronto Island was nearly evacuated and over two hundred basements were flooded. City staff laid down over 4,000 sandbags against the shoreline to mitigate the disastrous effects of Lake Ontario rising nearly 25 centimeters in less than a week. In an instance like this, when it’s raining cats and dogs non-stop and it seems as though the deluge will never end, it can be comforting to know that your home is protected by a sturdy roof.
Here at Professional Roofers, we’ve seen it all over the years: from busted sky-lights, to gutters flying off the roof and into the backyard. Providing 24-hour emergency services means we’ve gotten calls at all hours of the night from customers whose roofs have sprung a disconcerting leak under the pressure of a heavy rainfall. In the heart of a week-long rain storm in Toronto, when the levels of Lake Ontario and the Don River are slowly rising and threatening to flood the streets, it really helps to know that at least the roof over your head will withstand the elements. As an experienced roofing company in Toronto, we deliver that peace of mind.
First and foremost, it is crucial to make sure that your eavestroughs and downspouts are functioning properly. Some roofers will give you the runaround on this point and sell you something you don’t need, but the truth is: if your troughs and spouts are straight, solid and don’t leak, they do not need to be replaced, period. If there’s a minor issue sometimes a bit of elbow grease can go a long way. However, in the instance that they are rusted, riddled with holes and just plain coming apart, Professional Roofers can install a new network of equal or greater quality that will direct water away from the foundation of your home.
The lesser known elements of your roof’s trim — soffit and fascia — are also important, although they aren’t exactly household names. The soffit and fascia are typically considered from an aesthetic standpoint, but they serve a valuable functional role as well. The soffit is the underside of your roof’s overhang, and depending on what type of material it’s made of it can help to ventilate your roof. In Ontario, where the climate vacillates wildly from wet and cold to hot and dry (and everything in between) all year round, the opportunity for mould buildup is ample. Spring rain won’t lead to gross and harmful mould in the summer and autumn if you ensure that your roof is well ventilated. The fascia is also a protective/ cosmetic element that protects the integrity of your roof in conjunction with the soffit.
The integrity of your actual roof is extremely important, and of course, as Professional Roofers, we spend the bulk of our time working to make sure the main structure of the roof is strong and attractive. But it’s important to remember that a team is only as strong as its weakest player, and when you forget to pay attention to the less visible pieces of the structure, you’re in danger of putting the whole thing at risk. Ensuring that your downspouts, eavestroughs, fascia and soffit are all in good condition will ensure that when we get hit with spring storms, your home stays dry, warm and clean.
