Roof repair: How to stop the sky from falling

by Shelley White from Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011 6:18AM EDT

When Toronto lawyer and property manager Sheila Collin first hired a roofer to repair two of her properties, she felt she had done her due diligence.

“The roofer had done work for someone that I have known for many years who said they’d done a spectacularly good job for a reasonable price, and they recommended them wholeheartedly,” she said.

Ms. Collin spent close to $75,000 in total roofing costs on an 8,000-square-foot mixed commercial/residential building and another 10,000-square-foot commercial property. After a particularly harsh winter, however, both buildings were suffering significant water leakage. When she attempted to get the roofer to remedy the continuing leak problems, it initially did a mediocre patch job (which didn’t hold), then stopped answering her calls. Finally, the company representatives just seemed to disappear.

“What I learned is you might be dealing with someone who was recommended by a previous customer, but by the time you get them they may not even [have] the same crew of people,” she said. “They change their company names and phone numbers. You can report them to the Better Business Bureau, but it doesn’t do any good.”

In the end, Ms. Collin had to employ another roofing company to tear out everything that had been previously done and reroof the buildings, which ended up costing her as much as she’d spent in the first place.

It’s the kind of calamity that strikes fear in the hearts of homeowners.

The spectre of leaks and water damage is nerve-racking enough, but with costs that can start at $5,000 and rise to $20,000 or more, a new roof can be a crippling expense.

But there are ways to minimize your risk and keep the roof over your head intact.

The first step in roof maintenance is determining whether you need work done well before you spring a leak. Craig Bennett, deputy executive director of Avenue Road Roofing in Toronto, says that there are some red flags to watch for.

“Observe the appearance of your shingles,” he says. “Specifically, look for curling or clawed shingle tabs, look for areas of excessive ‘granule’ loss [on the surface of the shingles]. In terms of age, a roof that is 15 years old should be inspected.”

Homeowners can also check to see if any of the metal flashing on the roof has pulled away or the caulking has dried out. If you have attic access, look for water marks or the appearance of mould (black marks).

Once you’ve determined that your roof needs work, it’s time to find a contractor. Mark Benerowski, a Toronto building inspector for the past 10 years, says that references from friends and family are a good way to start, but it’s important to get at least three quotes – he suggests getting 10 – before deciding on a contractor.

“Sometimes the larger companies can be good to go with, but a company is only as good as its installer. Ask if they’ve expanded a lot in the last couple years. How much experience do your installers have? How many installers can I expect to be on the job?”

Because a roofing job should last 15 years or more, look for a roofer who is going to stay in business. Mr. Bennett says that although many consumers won’t require it, it’s wise to look for companies that are bonded, which demonstrates that the contractor has had to withstand stringent business scrutiny.

“Also, look for roofing contractors who have been certified by the product manufacturer to install their products,” he says. “Ask to view a job in progress and speak with several past clients, particularly those who required warranty service.”

Other essential elements to watch for are safety and insurance, Mr. Bennett says. Consumers should ask to see a company’s health and safety policy, and ensure they have adequate insurance for the job at hand.

To further protect yourself, Mr. Benerowski advises that specifications be included in any contract or quote. “Don’t let them just put down three-tab shingle installation,” he says. “You want specifications as to flashing, the brand name and warranty of your shingle, the underlayment that will be used, how much ice shield, how high the ice shield is going to be.” (If the terms and details of roofing seems daunting to a layperson, you can get consumer info on the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s website.) “If you can specify in the contract, that’s half the battle.”

As for the cost, Mr. Bennett says his company’s statistics have shown that the average price for a complete shingle replacement within the Greater Toronto Area is about 2 per cent of the property value. But prices can vary widely depending on how complicated the job is and where it is located.

As well, your choice of materials will affect your final price. At the low end of the scale, there’s paper asphalt or fibreglass shingle (increasingly the most popular choice, according to Mr. Bennett). Metal is typically double the price, cedar triple and slate, three to four times the cost.

Once the job begins, if you’re concerned about the work being done, you can hire a building inspector to assess it, both during the project and after completion. For a one-time inspection, Mr. Benerowski charges between $200 and $300. For a more thorough, phased inspection report, it can cost between $500 and $600, based on 2,000-square-foot home.

If you do your homework before hiring your contractor, Mr. Bennett says, you should end up with a roof job that will stand the test of time.

Building inspector Mark Benerowski identifies common mistakes to watch for.

Roofers trying to work too fast: Ensure your roofing company will be providing you with an experienced installer and enough manpower to do the job properly (at least two or three workers). “It’s a seasonal type of business, so roofers can get very busy in the summers,” Mr. Benerowski says. “If a roofer is working too fast and hasn’t set his pneumatic gun properly, that nail head could be driven too hard with too much pressure. You’ve cracked the shingle and now you have a potential for leakage.”

Laying new shingles over old: Specify the full removal of the old shingles – if you don’t, the roofers may lay new ones over the old ones, which can trap moisture and lead to premature deterioration of the new surface.

Not removing old nails from the roof: Leaving old nails is like trapping “a bunch of needles underneath the new shingles. When you strip a roof, it has to be fully stripped.”

Poor ventilation: Be sure your roofing contractor will be addressing ventilation issues and is up-to-date on current ventilation techniques and products. “If you don’t have any ventilation at all, in the summer the attic gets very hot and you end up baking your shingles and they don’t last as long.”

www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com: New TREB consumer website

Offering immediate access to key information, the website’s landing page hosts a video widget, and four large clickable boxes: Market Update, Hot Consumer Topics, President’s Columns and video blog and Housing Charts.

Under the Market Update icon, consumers will find current and archived issues of news releases and TREB’s flagship publication Market Watch. Hot Consumer Topics includes information on how factors like the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), the Land Transfer Tax (LTT), and Money Laundering / Terrorist Financing legislation affect real estate transactions.

The President’s Columns icon features a collection of articles on a range of topics for homebuyers and sellers. The Housing Charts section outlines the latest market conditions in graphic form.

Directly below the site’s four main sections, a selection of videos is displayed as a clickable reel. Consumers can choose from a monthly market updates, economic and commercial market analyses and information pieces on various aspects of a transaction.

“Real estate can be a very fast moving business in which interpreting detailed information is critical to a successful outcome, and while Greater Toronto REALTORS can offer invaluable professional guidance, an informed consumer can also contribute to a smooth transaction,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “To make information as accessible as possible, the new website offers updates via text, graphic and video formats, which cater to consumers’ diverse preferences.”

Information geared to buyers’ and sellers’ needs such as plain language forms, quick links to allow consumers to search local listings directly through the Canadian Real Estate Association’s website www.REALTOR.ca and the ability to search open houses scheduled throughout the Greater Toronto Area is available. Directly below, a continuously refreshing information box offers tips on tax rebates and more. Consumers will be able to use the search tool to obtain the contact information of individual Greater Toronto REALTORSR®. An overview of the association’s activities and the REALTOR® community including charitable efforts are also highlights.

Also included are direct links to subscribe to TREB’s RSS feed and the association’s social media profiles found on Facebook, Twitter and TREB’s YouTube channel.

“Social media offers an ideal opportunity for us to share information with our REALTOR® Members and the consumers they serve, and most importantly, to hear from them so that tools and information can be tailored to their needs,” said Mr. Silver. “Since the new design was based on their feedback, we anticipate that it will become a key bookmark for buyers and sellers throughout the GTA.”

Visit TREB’s consumer website at www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com
Greater Toronto REALTORS® are passionate about their work. They are governed by a strict Code of Ethics

Housing Market Defies Expectations: Prices, Sales Rise

National Post, Wednesday August 17, 2011, Byline: Garry Marr

July proved to be a another strong month for Canadian home sales with the Canadian Real Estate Association now predicting 2011 will see an increase in sales as opposed to a previous forecast for a drop. Actual sales last month were up 12.3% from a year ago while year-to-date sales are 1.6% lower than the same period for 2010.

Prices also continue to have some upward movement,albeit some of the increase year over year being attributed to the introduction of the HST in British Columbia and Ontario, and tighter mortgage regulations in 2010.
The national average price for homes sold in July 2011 was $361,181 - the lowest level since January - but represented a 9.3% increase from a year ago.

Greg Klump, chief economist at CREA, cautioned not to read too much into the average price statistics."Changes in the national average home price are open to being misinterpreted," Mr. Klump said. "They often signify changes in the mix of sales activity across and within local markets, rather than a rising or falling price trend for typical homes in a specific market."

However, CREA, the Ottawa-based group which represents 100 boards across the country, says the scales have now tipped modestly in favour of 2011 outpacing 2010. CREA is predicting 450,800 sales in 2011, just under a 1% increase from a year ago. The group had been forecasting a decline of 1%. Sales are expected to drop less than 1% in 2012.

Prices in Vancouver continue to affect the country, as they helped push CREA's forecast for the average sale price in 2011 to $363,500, a 7.2% increase from a year ago. This was also an increase from a previous forecast. Next year, prices are expected to be flat. The group noted longtalked-about increases in interest rates have failed to materialize in the market. "While there had been some talk of potential interest-rate increases, that hasn't happened," said Gary Morse, president of CREA. "In fact, rates have actually come down, and are now expected to remain low for the remainder of this year and into 2012."

Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at Bank of Montreal, said the housing market just seems to keep surprising everybody."In a world seemingly awash in negative economic surprises in 2011, one positive surprise has been the resiliency of Canada's housing market," said Mr. Porter, adding few analysts were predicting the kind of price increases the market has seen. "Canadian housing remains surprisingly robust, thanks to still-low interest rates and solid job growth. While the recent financial market turmoil may temporarily weigh on activity, sales should ultimately find support from continued exceptionally low borrowing costs."

Phil Soper, chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, said his company's recent forecast was for a 2% decline in sales and 3% increase in price for 2011. He doesn't anticipate that changing."I think we're going to start to see it's not so much the strength of the market but the weakness last year. The market had run out of steam at this point last year," Mr. Soper said. "I think we are seeing a more normal curve to the market, with the exception of the Vancouver market."

Summer Housing Market Stable

CREA reports that national resale housing activity was stable on a month-to-month basis in July following an uptick in June, according to statistics released by the association today.

“The continued stability in national sales activity shows that homebuyers remain confident about the soundness of investing in a home,” said Gary Morse, CREA’s President. “Mortgage interest rates are low and keeping home affordability within reach, making it an excellent time for buyers to take advantage of very favourable financing. Prices and affordability evolve differently among local markets, so buyers and sellers should consult their local REALTOR® to better understand how the outlook for housing supply, demand, and prices is shaping up in their housing market.”

Toronto real estate sales up in July 23% over 2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Aug. 4, 2011) – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,922 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in July 2011, representing a 23 per cent increase over July 2010. Total sales through the first seven months of this year amounted to 55,863 – down by 1.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2010. After adjusting for seasonal fluctuations, the July figure continued to point to an annual sales result close to 90,000 – in line with results from the previous six months.

“Strong home sales continued in July, with a substantial rebound over last summer’s slow-down brought about by higher mortgage rates, new lending guidelines and misconceptions about the HST. The greatest rebound was seen in the condominium apartment segment in the City of Toronto,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “If the current pace of sales holds up, we could see the second best year on record under the current TREB market area.”

The average selling price in July was $459,122 – up by almost ten per cent compared to the July 2010 average of $418,675.

“Tight market conditions have boosted the annual rate of price growth this year. However, the listings situation is starting to improve. A better supplied market later this year and into 2012 would lead to a more sustainable rate of price growth,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis

Urbanation Reports Record Breaking Condo Sales in Toronto for Q2

The 9,455 new condominium apartment sales in the second quarter topped the previous record high of 6,997 in Q2-2007 by 35%. There were also records set in Q2-2011 for the number of active projects, active units, sold index price, unsold index price, new condominium launches (units and projects), units and projects under construction, and quarterly unit registrations. In addition, only 16% of the active units in the market are unsold, a record low, quarters supply is at its lowest level since 1989, unsold units per project is at its lowest level since 1996, sales per project is at its highest level since 1988.

Over the past 12 months there were 24,731 new condominium sales, topping the previous record high of 22,654 from Q4-2007 by 9%. These results are a far cry from Q2-2009 when less than 10,000 sales were realized over the previous 12 months.