Roof Repair & Leaks

Most roof leaks in Calgary do not start in the middle of the shingles. They start where the roof changes direction or something passes through it: chimney and wall flashings, plumbing vent boots, skylights, valleys, and the lower edge where ice builds up in winter. A roofer traces the leak from the stain back up the slope, which is why a leak over the kitchen can come from a vent two metres away.

Wind is the other common cause here. Chinook gusts and summer thunderstorms lift and crease shingles, break the seal strips, and pull off ridge caps. A handful of missing shingles is a routine repair. Shingles that lift easily across a whole slope, or granules washing into the eavestroughs, usually mean the roof is near the end of its life and a repair only buys time.

In winter, water through a ceiling is often an ice dam rather than a hole. Heat from the house melts snow, the water refreezes at the cold eave, and the next melt backs up under the shingles. The City of Calgary's advice is to improve attic insulation and ventilation to reduce ice damming, and a repair that ignores the attic tends to come back next year.

Small repairs do not need a building permit. If water is pouring in near light fixtures or outlets, a ceiling is sagging, or there is sparking or a burning smell, get everyone out of the house and call emergency services from outside. Do not go into the attic or onto the roof. If the damage came from a storm, call your insurer before any permanent repair so the damage can be documented.