Roofing questions, answered

Nanaimo Roofers answers roofing questions across the City of Nanaimo, the District of Lantzville and the Regional District of Nanaimo. Below are the answers we give most often: asphalt shingles need a slope of at least 1 in 3, and we vent every roof to not less than 1/300 of the insulated ceiling area.

How long does a roof last on this coast?

Architectural asphalt runs 25 to 30 years and metal 40 to 70, but a north slope under heavy tree cover reaches the low end of either range. Time spent wet shortens a roof faster than age does, so venting and moss control matter more than which brand of shingle you pick.

What is the difference between a repair and a replacement?

A repair fixes a detail — a flashing, a valley, a penetration — while the field of the roof keeps working. A replacement strips to the deck and rebuilds the assembly. We quote a repair where the covering has life left, and a replacement where the granules are gone or the deck has softened.

How is a quote priced?

By the square foot of roof area installed, not floor area. We price architectural asphalt at $4 to $9 a square foot and metal at $8 to $30. Slope, the count of valleys and penetrations, storey height and the number of existing layers decide where inside those ranges a given roof falls.

Can a roof be done in winter?

Yes, in windows. We book winter work around the forecast. Adhesive-sealed shingles need warmth to bond, and where that is not available the fasteners carry the roof until it comes.

Does a re-roof need a building permit in Nanaimo?

The City of Nanaimo issues building permits under Building Bylaw 2016 No. 7224, which sets out no roofing-specific exemption, so we confirm the answer with the City before a job is scheduled. In the Regional District of Nanaimo, a roofing repair or replacement is exempt as long as no structural changes are made — the general permit requirement there still covers new construction, alteration, addition and demolition.

Who issues the permit for a given address?

Three authorities cover this coast. The City of Nanaimo works from Building Bylaw 2016 No. 7224, the District of Lantzville from Building Bylaw 182, and the Regional District of Nanaimo across seven electoral areas. We confirm which one covers your address before we book the work.

Is eave protection required on a Nanaimo roof?

Yes, on the roofs we build here. We run eave protection 900 mm up the slope, to a line 300 mm inside the inner face of the exterior wall, and we carry it further on a shallow pitch or a north slope that holds water.

How steep does a roof have to be for shingles?

Asphalt shingles need at least 1 in 3, or 1 in 6 when we use the low-slope method. Profiled metal starts at 1 in 4 with no upper limit, and modified bituminous membrane covers 1 in 50 up to 1 in 4. Anything flatter than 1 in 50 needs the slope rebuilt first, and we say so at the quote.

How much venting does a roof need?

We vent to at least 1/300 of the insulated ceiling area, and 1/150 below a 1-in-6 slope. We split that area across opposite sides of the roof, with at least 25% at the top and at least 25% at the bottom, so the attic actually moves air.

What can be done about moss?

Low-pressure treatment lifts it without driving water under the courses, and zinc or copper strips at the ridge slow it coming back. Asphalt shingles are never pressure-washed. Roofs on this coast are worth inspecting in spring and again in fall, and after any severe wind.

Do I need to be home for the work?

No. We only need access to the roof and room on the driveway for a bin.

What happens to the yard and the driveway?

We put the bin on the driveway, on boards where the surface needs them, and we work off one or two sides of the house at a time. Tell us what sits close to the working edge — a raised bed, a heat pump, a hot tub cover, a satellite dish — and we set the drop zone away from it. Anything we move gets put back.

What should a quote contain before it is signed?

We name the covering by product, give the measured slope and the venting ratio the finished roof will meet, set a per-sheet rate for replacing rotten sheathing, say whether gutters and flashings are in or out, and state the number of days the roof will be open.