Cambridge is really three old towns — Galt, Hespeler and Preston — joined up in 1973, and it still reads that way. The stone buildings in downtown Galt in particular deserve a roof that suits them, which rules out a lot of what's on the market. Highland has been working here for over twenty years.
The stone buildings in downtown Galt are the reason people here care what a roof looks like. Limestone and granite outlive several roofs, and putting something cheap on top of a building like that is a visible decision. Profile and colour matter more than usual.
Hespeler and Preston have their own centres and their own housing eras, so a solution that suits one street can look wrong two kilometres away. We would rather look at the building than quote from an address.
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Roofing homes in Cambridge
The limestone and granite buildings in downtown Galt will outlive several roofs, so what goes on top of them is a visible decision.
Most of the decision is the profile rather than the colour. A deep tile like Banff suits older roofs with steep pitches and plenty of visible surface; Standing Seam is flatter and cleaner and sits better on a long modern run. Banff is available in black only; Standing Seam offers eight finishes.
Eight finishes
Black 9005 through Terra Cotta 8004, on every profile except Banff.
Snow
sheds rather than holds it, so there's less weight on the structure and less ice building at the eaves.
Summer heat
reflective coatings cut how much reaches the roof deck.
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Commercial roofing
Galt, Hespeler and Preston each have their own commercial core, and the building stock in all three is old enough to be interesting.
On a commercial building the case for metal is mostly about what stops happening. Flat and low-slope roofs need attention on a cycle, and that cycle costs money whether or not anything has actually gone wrong — inspections, recoating, patching, and scaffolding booked every few springs. Metal takes most of it off the calendar.
Fasteners
Standing Seam fixes with concealed fasteners, so there are no exposed screws to work loose.
Finish
matched to the existing brick, cladding or curtain wall rather than fighting it.
Long runs
panels are rolled in Europe and cut to the building, so there are fewer joints.
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New builds and custom homes
New building here tends to sit alongside something considerably older, which constrains the profile more than the budget does.
The useful time to involve a roofer is while it is still on paper. Pitch, valley detailing and how the panel meets the fascia are all cheaper to resolve at the drawing stage than on site. We would rather be in the conversation with your architect early than be handed a finished deck and asked to make it work.
Early involvement
we work with architects and builders through detailing, not just at installation.
Seven profiles
the roof can be part of the design rather than a constraint on it.
Lifespan
metal outlasts asphalt by a wide margin, which matters on a house you intend to keep.
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Eavestroughs
The Grand and the Speed both run through the city, and the older streets near them sit low.
Metal sheds water fast — that is the point of it — but it does mean more water reaches the eavestrough in less time than a shingle roof would send down. Undersized or leaking gutters are the usual reason water ends up sitting against a foundation, so we size the system to the roof rather than fitting it afterwards.
Coated steel
four protective layers, warranted 40 years by the system's manufacturer.
Sized to the roof
metal sheds water faster than shingle does, so the system is sized for the roof rather than matched to whatever was on the house before.
Coordinate the eavestrough finish with your chosen roof. Confirm the available materials and colours.
SEVEN PROFILES. UP TO EIGHT COLOURS.
Roofing in Cambridge?
Free, no-obligation quote.