Metal Roofing &
Fencing Insights.
Practical guides for Ontario homeowners on standing seam roofing, metal fencing, weather protection, and premium exterior upgrades.
226 articles — page 6 of 10
Mixing Metal Siding with Stone, Brick or Wood Accents
Material transitions are where exteriors succeed or look thrown together. How to proportion a mixed-material elevation and how to flash the joint between metal and masonry so it drains.
Unvented (Hot Roof) Assemblies Under Metal Roofing: When They Work
An unvented roof brings the deck inside the thermal envelope. It is a legitimate assembly with real advantages — and it has no tolerance for gaps, guesswork, or a leaky ceiling.
Attic Mould and Frost: A Ventilation Problem, Not Always a Roof Problem
Black staining on attic sheathing and frost on nail tips are moisture problems, and the moisture is usually coming from inside the house. Adding vents is rarely the first fix.
Slope and Expansion Joints in a Long Eavestrough Run
Eavestrough has to fall toward the outlets without looking crooked, and long runs of metal grow and shrink through an Ontario year. Both are design decisions, and both get skipped.
Road Salt: Why the Bottom Metre of Everything Goes First
Winter brine does not attack a fence evenly. It concentrates in a narrow band near the ground, and chlorides keep that band wet long after everything else has dried.
Roofing Fire Ratings: UL 790, ASTM E108 and Classes A, B and C
Class A, B and C roof ratings come from three specific fire tests run on a complete assembly. The panel material is only part of it — what sits underneath decides the class.
Commercial Rainware: Internal Drains, Scuppers and Oversized Eavestrough
A commercial roof sheds a lot of water in a hurry. How internal drains, overflow provisions, scuppers and heavy hung trough differ from residential rainware, and what freeze-thaw does to all of them.
Metal Shingles, Metal Tiles and Stone-Coated Steel: Three Different Products
These three often get grouped together as alternatives to standing seam, but they are made differently, installed differently and behave differently on the roof.
Steel vs Aluminum for Fencing and Railings: A Specification Guide
Steel is three times stiffer and welds on site. Aluminum will not rust in road salt. For fences and guards near Ontario driveways and sidewalks, that trade-off decides the job.
Assessing Hail Damage on a Metal Roof
Hail on a metal roof is usually a cosmetic question rather than a structural one — but not always. How to assess it honestly, what to photograph, and what actually matters.
Rake and Gable Trim on a Metal Roof
The rake is the second-highest uplift zone on a roof and the edge everyone sees from the street. One-piece or two-piece, cleated or face-screwed — the choice shows.
Frost Heave and How Fence Footings Resist It
Frost heave is not water expanding nine percent. It is ice lenses drawing water up out of the soil and jacking everything above them. That distinction changes how you build.
Choosing a Metal Roof Colour to Work With Red Brick
Red brick is not one colour. Finding its undertone, reading it together with the mortar, and understanding how a roof plane reflects sky are what make the difference.
Rainscreen Assemblies and Furring Behind Metal Siding
Metal cannot dry outward. That single fact is why the cavity behind metal siding matters more than behind any other cladding — and why furring depth, orientation and venting are engineering decisions.
Snow Guards on Metal Roofs: Why a Smooth Roof Needs Snow Retention
Metal sheds snow, which is usually an advantage and occasionally a hazard. Here is why a whole slab releases at once, what it weighs, and what snow retention actually does about it.
Sagging or Overflowing Eavestrough: Diagnosing It From the Ground
Where the water goes over the edge tells you what is wrong. Front, back, end or seam each point at a different cause, and metal roofs put demands on eavestrough that asphalt does not.
How to Read a Metal Roofing Quote, Line by Line
Two quotes for the same roof can differ enormously and both be honest — because they are describing different work. Here is what each line should tell you and what to ask when it does not.
Trees, Moss and Algae: What Shade Does to a Roof
Shade and retained moisture are what biological growth needs. Understanding the difference between algae, moss and lichen tells you what is happening on your roof and how serious it is.
Wind Uplift Testing Explained: UL 580, UL 1897 and ASTM E1592
Wind does not push a roof down, it pulls it up. Three different test methods measure that pull, they produce different kinds of numbers, and mixing them up leads to bad conclusions.
Metal Roofing for Churches, Halls and Institutional Buildings
Complex geometry, heritage considerations, irreplaceable interiors and a congregation that plans in generations. What makes institutional roofing different, and how these projects get phased.
Standing Seam on Low-Slope Roofs: Minimum Pitch and What Governs It
There is a floor below which a standing seam roof should not be installed. Understanding what sets that floor tells you when metal is right and when a membrane is the correct answer.
Recycled Content and Recyclability of Metal Roofing
Metal roofing is genuinely recyclable, but recycled content varies by mill and the marketing rounds off a lot of edges. Here is how to read the claims and what to ask a supplier for.
Working Through a Roof Insurance Claim: The Process
What the steps in a roof damage claim actually look like, from documenting the event to the adjuster's visit and the scope of work — and what to keep records of along the way.
Valley Construction in Metal Roofing: Open vs Closed
A valley carries the runoff of two roof planes through one narrow channel and fills with ice every winter. Here is how a metal valley is actually built.