Weather swings reap havoc on buildings and infrastructure

Water is them most revered and destructive element known to man. The awesome chaos of the behaviour of water retains its mystic place in our hearts, because, unlike fire, humans have not and can not master control of water. Water is the element of motherhood, and it is the destructive force of mythical legend; it is Tsunami, Hurricane, Snow, Ice and the foundation of life on Earth.

Climate Chaos is creating new challenges to Canadian infrastructure and buildings. Canada’s weather requires unique material elasticity for buildings, but historically when winter arrived, it stayed. With the winter weather swings in Toronto this year, heavy snowfalls have been followed by mid-winter thaws. Our roofs, walls and foundations can be severely impacted by freezing and thawing water. The magical element that takes so many different natural forms can heave sidewalks, penetrate roofs, and cause significant damage. With increasingly erratic winter weather, come costly implications for homeowners.

Reducing the Risk of Ice Damming

Ice damming occurs when snow and ice accumulate on a shingled roof. The predominant cause of the problem is inadequately ventilated soffits and attics, however, swinging temperatures and heavy snow loads have a significant impact on ice damming. Damming is caused when water melts and flows with gravity along the roof surface, then it encounters ice or snow or cold air when it is forced to move up the roof slope wedging its way between shingles as ice. This is common cause of water dammage in Canadian homes and has resulted in proliferation of mitigation strategies. Getting to the root cause is as important as mitigating the damaging symptoms of ice damming.

Attic ventilation and insulation
Most houses in Toronto have inadequate attic insulation and ventilation. Attic air should be outside air from soffit, ridge and gable vents. Appropriate vapour barrier and insulation on the attic floor is essential. Ventilation, insulation and vapour barrier are the best and only perfect solutions for eliminating the cause of ice damming.

Steel Roofing
Steel roofing eliminates conditions for ice damming and mitigates ice damming risk. If considering reroofing your home take a close look at Steel. In addition to it’s virtues as roofing, Steel is recyclable, has a long useful life and keeps toxic asphalt out of landfill.

Temporary Solutions

Mitigation strategies for asphalt roofs include running heating cables along the lower 3 feet of the roof this allows the delivery of a constant temperature to the most susceptible area of the roof. This solution has obvious negative impacts relating to energy consumption. Another prevalent band-aid solution is to install a 3 foot row of tin, steel or aluminium at the lower edge of the roofline the short term advantages of these strategies is the deferral of dealing with the cause of the problem with minimal (but not insignificant) immediate cash outlay. 

Heaving Sidewalks, Cracking Foundations, Crumbling Bricks

Ask someone you know who pushes a stroller or navigates a wheelchair on Toronto sidewalks – cracks and ice can serve up a bumpy road. Concrete, stone, or brick is subject to damage from ice. The key to keeping your home protected is to stay on top of the maintenance of these surfaces. If cracks appear in your foundation fill them with the appropriate concrete patching material or call an expert.

Surfaces from window sills to concrete stairs should be designed to shed water, and sloped for drainage. Cracks are the beginnings of more serious problems that are accelerated by frequent freeze thaw cycles. Remember that bricks, tuck pointing (the concrete between bricks), and concrete require ongoing maintenance. There are foundation wall treatments such as parging which can reduce the risk of water penetration. At a recent construction trade show I was introduced to a stucco-like parging system which includes the application of a layer of foam insulation and an exterior polymer sealant which serves to keep water out while protecting the foundation wall from susceptibility to exterior temperature swings – visit EvolutionGreen.Com for more info on these solutions. 

The Importance of Expert Advice

As weather becomes more erratic it will become increasingly important to find creative ways to protect our shared infrastructure and our private properties from water damage. Scientists are projecting increased severity and intensity of local weather patterns. Water is the most destructive force that impacts our buildings and property.  According to Jeff Baker of Baker Street Home Inspections “Ice damming is not a roofing problem it is an attic ventilation issue. Home owners should consult a home inspector whenever they have building performance problems. Get some objective cost effective advice, it could save you thousands.”

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