Kitchener runs from the Victorian streets around Victoria Park out to the newer subdivisions in Doon and Forest Heights, and the roofs change with them. Highland has worked across Waterloo Region since 2004.
The streets around Victoria Park hold some of the oldest housing in the region, much of it still carrying its original roofline and a good deal of it worth preserving. Those are careful jobs — steep pitches, dormers, and neighbours close enough to matter.
Elsewhere Kitchener is newer and the roofs are simpler. Straightforward pitches go on quickly, which keeps the cost down, and on a plain roof the whole decision usually comes down to how long you want to go before thinking about it again.
Kitchener
Kitchener's heritage districts
Kitchener has four heritage conservation districts. Victoria Park, designated in 1996, was the first; Upper Doon, St. Mary's and the Civic Centre neighbourhood followed. In any of them, a change of roofing material is worth taking to the City's heritage planning staff before it is ordered.
Around Victoria Park the roofs are steep, with dormers and close neighbours, and they are the ones where the profile and colour decide whether a new roof looks right.
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Roofing homes in Kitchener
Forest Heights and the west side are mostly post-war and later subdivision housing, with simple, straightforward roofs.
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
Downtown Kitchener has a lot of converted industrial space, which means large flat roofs on buildings that predate modern drainage.
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
Doon and the southern edge carry most of the recent residential building.
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
Snowmelt in the region tends to come all at once, and an eavestrough sized for rain is not sized for that.
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 Kitchener: questions
Can I have a metal roof on a house near Victoria Park?
Victoria Park is one of Kitchener's four heritage conservation districts, so check with the City's heritage planning staff before changing the roofing material. Highland can help you choose a profile and colour to take to them.
My house in Doon is fairly new. Should I replace the roof now?
Not necessarily. A shingle roof with life left in it is not worth tearing off. Highland can look at it and give you a rough idea of how long it has, so you can plan rather than react.
Do you roof converted industrial and commercial buildings?
Yes. Highland does commercial roofing as well as homes, and carries $5 million in liability insurance and WSIB coverage.
Roofing in Kitchener?
Free, no-obligation quote.