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Home Separator Blog Separator Cold Weather Roof Leaks: The Hidden Culprit

Cold Weather Roof Leaks: The Hidden Culprit

Posted Feb 18th, 2025 in General News

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    Cold Weather Roof Leaks: The Hidden CulpritAt Watertite Roofing – Specialists in Flat Roofing Since 1976, we’ve been receiving an influx of calls about apparent flat roof leaks due to the recent extreme cold. However, upon inspection, we often find that the roof itself isn’t the issue, but rather the problem stems from frozen drains, eavestroughs, or scupper drains.

    How Extreme Cold Causes Leaks

    With sub-zero temperatures, water in drain pipes and eavestroughs can freeze, blocking proper drainage. This creates a chain reaction:

    • Drain pipes freeze, trapping water inside.
    • As the ice expands, it puts pressure back up the pipe, forcing water to seep into the roofing system through joints or seams.
    • If the pressure builds too much, it can cause pipes to crack or burst, leading to major leaks.

    Similarly, when eavestroughs fill with ice, a phenomenon called ice damming occurs. This forces water to back up along the roofline and leak into the building at the drip edge.

    How to Prevent Frozen Drain Pipes & Eavestroughs

    The best way to stop these cold-weather leaks is by preventing ice buildup in your drainage system. Here’s how:

    1. Install Heated Cables

    One of the most effective solutions is to have an electrician install heating cables along your pipes and eavestroughs. These cables melt ice buildup, allowing water to flow freely.

    2. Use a Thermostat-Controlled System

    An electrician can wire the heating system to a thermostat, so it only activates when temperatures drop below freezing. This makes the system more energy-efficient and saves you money.

    3. DIY Heating Cable Kits

    Many hardware retailers sell DIY heating cable kits, which homeowners can install themselves. However, professional installation is recommended for optimal performance and safety.

    Protect Your Roof This Winter

    Winter can be tough on your flat roof, but with the right preventative measures, you can avoid costly repairs and severe leaks. If you’re experiencing issues with drain pipes, eavestroughs, or ice damming, Watertite Roofing – Specialists in Flat Roofing Since 1976 can help.

    Call us today at +1 (905) 774-3598 for expert advice and solutions.

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      Watertite Roofing proudly serves communities across Southern Ontario, delivering expert flat roofing solutions with proven reliability. From St. Catharines to Brantford, Hamilton to Dunnville, our certified team brings decades of experience to every project. We understand local needs and tailor our services for lasting results—whether it’s a repair, replacement, or retrofit. With offices conveniently located, we’re never far when your business needs trusted, high-performance roofing.

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      + 1 (905) 774-3598 1333 Hwy 3 E, Dunnville

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      What our customers are saying

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      Zac and his team have been incredible from our first contact. They were the most reasonably priced of 4 quotes, got the job done quickly when they said they would, have promptly responded to any queries and have came back to support installation of ventwork during renovations. The new roof, trim and eaves troughs look great and we’re very happy with the service.

      Amanda Harry

      In February this year, we had a serious flooding problem at our house coming from an outside flat roof deck and probable freezing / ice damage. As part of researching our options, we learned that identifying and fixing flat roof issues can be very complicated, expensive and problematic for insurance coverage. While WaterTite Roofing was not involved in the original installation of our flat deck, Zachary came to our house the day after we contacted him and provided us with a detailed assessment of the problem, a solution and the cost. While we ended up using a different roofing company, mostly due to insurance complications, we could not have been more pleased or impressed by the professionalism of Zachary and we make no hesitation in suggesting you consult WaterTite / Zachary if you have an issue with a flat roof.

      Don Davidson

      Watertite did an amazing job with our rooftop terrace installation, very professional and built to last many years. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a solution that is long lasting and low maintenance. Amazing job!

      Glenn Edwards

      We hired Watertite Roofing to repair a leaking flat overhang on the front of our house that had been poorly done by another roofing company about 10 years earlier. Rot had set in and owner Zak Keyes had the solution for a permanent fix. Lead hand Jon took over from there and skillfully directed his crew to undo all the damage, working tirelessly in cold weather to give us a house that looks great and the knowledge that the problems are fixed for good. We highly recommend Watertite Roofing for flat roof construction and repair. Leanne and Pierre – Hamilton Ontario

      Leanne Joanisse

      Great responsiveness, good value and no hidden costs. Would not hesitate to recommend this company to anyone needing roof work. Chris Elgar of C Elgar Holdings Limited.

      Chris Elgar

      During a heavy rain event, the roof leaked and one of the tenant was concerned about the leak. I called Watertite Roofing and they were on the roof to patch the leak by end of the same day. In the meantime, they did an assessment of the roof and provided a quotation within days for the replacement of the roof. Once the quotation was approved, Watertite Roofing promptly began to replace the roof the following day. The foreman on site for Watertite Roofing was considerate of intrusion to the businesses and their clients. The site foreman was approachable and made changes requested by the landlord. The work was completed in four days and before the next rainfall. Communication with the head office was always pleasant and frequent updates were provided every several days of work progress by the Operations Manager/Estimator. I was pleased with the quick response and the professional manner in which the work was completed ahead of time.

      Silvio Mucciarelli

      Thank you Ibrahim, We really appreciate your Google rating us five stars. Can you share a few words about your experience please as it would be helpful for fellow Googlers. Thank you kindly from Management and Staff

      Ibrahim Jame Mosque

      I had the opportunity to work with Watertite in 2008, they educated me on their product along with the installation process. The job was completed in a diligent and timely manner and the material is a superior technologically advanced product. Most recently, I had an ice issue this past December where Watertite came out to my building to tackle an ice issue. Upon completion, I was shocked to hear from Zak that there was NO charge for the time spent. There are a very few out there that exercise honest ethical business practice…….THANK YOU

      Zappa Zappa

      After doing a lot of research on possible solutions for renewing an existing 35yr old low pitch corrugated metal roof on a pre-eng industrial building; a membrane overlay system was chosen as the most effective from a performance, cost and warranty standpoint. After engaging 3 local firms for proposals, it quickly became apparent that Watertite was by far the best solution to meet our needs. Their rep (Zak) was very easy to work with, maintained great communications, and was very professional/responsive to any questions or communications I had. Through the whole process (survey, quotation, project coordination/execution, and wrap-up), Watertite and their personnel were top notch with little inconvenience to the tenant. Definitely would not hesitate to highly recommend Watertite and the Duro-last membrane system.

      Dave Allan

      Zak at Watertite was fantastic! Called him up to get a quote and was very happy with the responsiveness. The work was completed as promised and in a very professional. Would definitely recommend them for any roofing needs.

      D. B.

      The crew from Watertite Roofing did and amazing job. They were professional and friendly and worked hard to get the job done. Quality of work was fantastic. It even cost less than originally quoted and appreciated the honesty. Highly recommend this company.

      J. W.

      this team was excellent! they repaired our roof (a former elementary school) and did the work on time and within budget. The crew were friendly, professional and cleaned up all during the project work. We have asked them to quote us a second building and look forward to having this repaired. They are the experts in flat roofs. Great work Watertight!

      Joanna Mataya

      As a custom home builder and renovator we work on many unique projects that require unique products and solutions. We only work with contractors that can provide the level of professionalism, service, and product quality that we demand of ourselves for our clientele. Watertite Roofing is one of those contractors who sets the bar higher for others. Their response time, organization of operations, and delivery on service is rarely paralleled. And they install a durable, well warrantied product that takes a load off our minds. We wouldn’t use anyone else.

      David Tucker

      In 2018 the team at Watertite installed a new flat roof on our building. Being that it was fairly new product and procedures to us we were a bit apprehensive at first. However, Zak and the team were great to deal with in terms of explaining the new product and installation procedures and it really eased our mind during the decision making process. During installation the team couldn’t have been better. Quick, clean and efficient, very knowledgeable and upon completion they took the time to explain the do’s and don’ts as well as general maintenance tips for us to follow. This past week during the excessive snow storms we’ve had in our area we had some water dripping into our office and showroom. Zak had a team member over the next business day to have a look, at no charge. He did the best he could to clear the water and ice from a frozen eavestrough and downspout that was causing water to travel behind siding and under the membrane. We are very grateful for them to have come out so quickly and not even charge us even though the leak wasn’t even from their roof installation! We have another project in the works for the spring time and we will definitely be going with the team at Watertite again!

      Steve Yendt

      We did our due diligence on roofers when we needed a complete new 15,000 square foot flat roof. All signs were positive for Watertite and they did not disappoint us, they did a great job. Zack was our main contact and he kept us informed throughout the project and always returned our calls in a timely fashion. Well done Watertite team! Larry Fontaine, president of Fontaine Transport Inc.

      Barb Fontaine

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