Roofing Archives - Page 3 of 3

Alberta’s Hail Suppression Program Helps Keep Houses And Other Properties Safe

Alberta is known as the Hail Alley of Canada. The province has faced major hail storms for years with some hailstones larger than golf balls. Over the years, the frequency of hail storms in the area has increased.

In summer 2020, a total of 24 highly damaging hail events were reported. One particular storm produced hailstones larger than golf balls, shredding siding off of homes and smashing car windows. This year, we are expecting the numbers to rise to 40 highly damaging hail storms.

Last year, the storms that hit Calgary and surrounding areas caused over $1.3 billion in insured damage making it the fourth most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history. To reduce the impact and severity of the damage caused by these storms, the insurance industry, with the help of the Alberta Severe Weather Management Society (ASWMS), came up with the Alberta Hail Suppression Project (AHSP).

The program has been running since 1996 with the goal of mitigating the amount of hail damage affecting urban property such as homes and vehicles. If you want to know more about how this project is helping Albertans, keep reading.

Why Do We Need It?

Terry Krauss, project director for the Alberta Severe Weather Management Society, details,

“Hail alley is right here in central Alberta, and that’s why our project is here. Yes, it can hail anywhere in Canada, in every province — but not as frequently, and definitely not as frequent with severe hail.”

He further added,

“The frequency of the storm severity is increasing. There have been studies done indicating that it will continue to increase in the future.”

Alberta faces the highest number of damaging hail storms as compared to all of Canada. Over the years, it has caused immense damage to residential structures, industrial buildings, and vehicles causing great pressure on insurance companies.

Many countries around the world have hail suppression programs in place. Hence, the Severe Weather Management Society was established by Insurance companies in the province to administer the cloud seeding program.

How Are Hail Storms Suppressed?

The process utilizes the cloud seeding concept to break large hailstones into smaller ones. When meteorologists identify a possible hailstorm, a pilot is dispatched into action and treats the clouds with silver iodide smoke particles that are given off by flares.

The silver iodide particles act as artificial ice crystals that freeze up the supercooled water drops causing the clouds to produce a greater amount of small pebble-sized hailstones instead of a smaller amount of large-sized hailstones.

As of now, the organization only has 5 seeding planes. So, if there are a couple of incoming storms around the province, priority is given based on their severity and the population of the community being threatened.

Is Silver Iodide Safe?

Over the years, many concerns over the use of silver iodide in storm clouds have been expressed. The Alberta Severe Weather Management Society states that there are no known adverse environmental effects from cloud seeding. Silver iodide salt is a non-toxic material.

Moreover, the quantity used is very small and the seeding levels are constantly monitored. They are comparable to the natural level of silver iodide found in tap water.

The seeding process does not change the composition of the cloud or make them disappear. Rather, it reduces the size of the hailstones.

About Us

At AKRoN Roofing we provide a wide range of the best roofing materials in the market and hold the highest installation standards for all roofs. Our team of experts can help you deal with damages caused by natural calamities in the most seamless manner.

We are a licensed contractor that offers cost-effective and resilient roofing solutions in Calgary. Our company offers a variety of products for sloped roof replacements with a Class 4 rating from UL, including SBS modified architectural shingles, Euroshield recycled rubber shingles, and F-wave Synthetic shingles. Our other services include, but are not limited to, residential re-roofing with asphalt shingles, TPO membranes for flat roofing, roof repairs, and inspections of all types of roofing material by our qualified team.

AKRoN Roofing is proud of its A+ rating with BBB plus other certifications and accreditations. You can check our accreditations and certifications here. Contact us here for more information.

Alberta’s SHARP Program: Affordable Roof Repairs For Seniors

It can be difficult for seniors to pay for unexpected repairs and the maintenance of their homes. To help seniors live independently and feel safe in their homes without worrying about the extra costs of major renovations, the Government of Alberta runs a Seniors Home Adaptation and Repair Program (SHARP) that allows eligible seniors to use their home equity to assist with financing major repairs and maintenance projects.

Seniors with a total annual income of $75,000 or less are eligible to apply for the program. The loan is intended to finance home repairs and adaptations. The examples of what the loan can cover extend to roof and window replacement, plumbing, electrical repairs, furnace replacement, installing walk-in tubs, and widening doorways and hallways.

Details Of The Program

The eligibility criteria for a SHARP load is:

A senior homeowner, aged 65 and older;
An annual income of $75,000 or less; and
A minimum of 25% home equity.

Under the program, seniors are provided with a maximum loan of up to $40,000. SHARP will register a caveat against the land title certificate to secure the loan received. Although there is no specific time allocated to the repayment of the loan, it will automatically become due when:

The home is sold;
The senior is no longer a registered owner;
The home is no longer the senior’s primary residence.

Other highlights of the loan are:

2.7% interest rate, reviewed and adjusted twice a year;
No monthly payments, repay the loan with interest when the homeowner moves or sells the house;
Interest charges start on the date the program deposits a loan into the bank account; and
SHARP will consider the reasonableness of the cost of a suggested home repair as part of their approval process.

Roof Repairs

Over the years, roof replacement costs have increased and many homeowners, especially seniors, have had a hard time funding this work. However, under the SHARP program, seniors can apply for roof repairs and get them done without having to pay upfront.

A homeowner begins by reading the information guide supplied online and completing the application form. Copies of receipts or estimates are to be submitted to SHARP with the application. After this, the organization will take around four to six weeks to review the application.

To enable cancellation rights, the homeowner must apply for SHARP within 45 days of signing a contract. If the homeowner cancels the contract within 30 days from receiving a notification for the program of ineligibility, the applicant is not required to pay for the contracted work, and the contractor has 15 days to return any money paid as a deposit. It is important that the homeowner has not yet accepted any of the goods or services outlined in the contract.

Furthermore, it is always important to hire a legitimate, trustworthy company and confirm that they are licensed with Service Alberta as a pre-paid contractor if they request a deposit. It is also important to communicate to the contractor that an application for SHARP funding is pending. Learn more about hiring home services companies here.

About AKRoN Roofing

AKRoN Roofing offers cost-effective and resilient roofing solutions in Calgary. We provide a wide range of the best roofing materials in the market and hold the highest installation standards on all our roofs. AKRoN Roofing is a proud member of the Alberta Allied Roofing Association.

We offer various products for sloped roof replacements with a Class 4 rating from UL, including SBS modified architectural shingles, Euroshield recycled rubber shingles and F-wave Synthetic shingles. Our other services include, but are not limited to, residential re-roofing with asphalt shingles, TPO and 2-ply membranes for flat roofing, roof repairs, and inspections of all types of roofing material by our qualified team.

AKRoN Roofing is proud of its A+ rating with BBB plus other certifications and accreditations. You can check out our accreditations and certifications here. Contact us here for more information.

Is Your Contractor Properly Licensed To Accept Deposits?

The government of Alberta requires home service contractors to acquire a “Pre-paid Contractor’s License” if they want to accept payments before any work is started. It’s surprising how many contractors do not carry this licensing despite requesting deposits. Note that a municipal business license is not the same thing as a Pre-paid Contractor’s License.

The Pre-Paid Contractor’s License requires the contractors to sign a bond and add specific clauses to the contract. One of these clauses gives the buyers a right to cancel the contract.

This blog details the benefits of hiring a properly licensed contractor. Moreover, we have also mentioned the proper method of finding out whether your contractor has a Pre-paid Contractor’s License or not.

What Is a Pre-Paid Contractor?

Service Alberta, a Government Of Alberta unit that deals with contractor licenses, details that:

“Contractors who accept money before work is complete and discuss or finalize a contract away from their normal place of business are considered prepaid contractors under Alberta’s Consumer Protection Act.”

Hence, if a contractor decides to finalize the deal, talks about contract clauses or makes changes to the already finalized contract at your home or a place other than their headquarters, they have to be licensed as a prepaid contractor. Moreover, if a contractor asks you to pay for work in advance, even if it is a fraction of the finalized amount, they have to be licensed as a prepaid contractor.

Contractors who discuss matters of work outside the premises of their headquarters or ask you for a deposit even if they don’t have a Pre-paid Contractor’s License are breaking the law.

How Does Hiring a Properly Licensed Contractor Benefit You?

Depositing a certain amount of money with any contractors, even if it is a fraction of the amount before the work is completed, makes you vulnerable. Hence, the Government of Alberta has added a few licensing requirements to protect Albertans from potential mishaps. Here are a few ways in which a prepaid contractor license protects you as a consumer.

Added Security

Contractors who have acquired a prepaid license from Service Alberta are bonded by the Government of Alberta. This bond is revoked if the contractor cannot complete the scope of work outlined in the customer’s contract. The Government of Alberta then uses this bond to compensate customers. It also serves as a stiff penalty to the contractors.

Ensure Validity

All the team members of the company undergo thorough background checks. If any of the members have a checkered past or have a list of criminal offences, the license is not granted. Hence, if you are hiring contractors who are properly licensed, you won’t have to worry about the company’s validity.

Buyer’s Right To Cancel Clause

Licensed contractors are required to enter a buyer’s right to cancel clause along with the defined scope of work, and a clear payment schedule in the contract. This template of this contract undergoes thorough checks with the Government of Alberta to ensure there are no discrepancies. Hence, even if you don’t have a lot of know-how of how contracts work, if you hire a licensed contractor, the authorities have your back.

How To Determine If The Contractor Is Licensed?

Fortunately, the Government Of Alberta has made it very easy to check if a contractor is licensed or not. All you have to do is visit the Service Alberta website and perform a simple search. Also, select “prepaid contractor” from the dropdown menu in license type. If the company is licensed, you will see a record for the company. However, if it is not; the search will not return any records.

About AKRoN Roofing

AKRoN Roofing is a pre-paid licensed contractor in Alberta with a $25,000 bond that offers cost-effective and resilient roofing solutions in and around Calgary. We provide a variety of the best roofing materials in the market and hold the highest installation standards for all roofs. AKRoN Roofing is a proud member of the Alberta Allied Roofing Association.

We offer quality products for sloped roof replacements with a Class 4 rating from UL, including SBS modified architectural shingles, Euroshield recycled rubber shingles, and F-wave Synthetic shingles. Our other services include, but are not limited to, residential re-roofing with asphalt shingles, TPO and 2-ply membranes for flat roofing, roof repairs, and inspections of all types of roofing material by our qualified team.

AKRoN Roofing is proud of its A+ rating with BBB plus other certifications and accreditations. You can check our accreditations and certifications here. Contact us here for more information.

Different Types Of Roof Measurement Technologies

Advancements in technology have revamped the way most industries operate. Less than two decades ago, the only way to measure surface area, height, and other parameters of a roof was to climb a ladder and run a tape measure.

However, over the past few years, several roof measurement technologies have been developed. Some examples of these new technologies include aerial imagery, 3D modeling, and ground user images.

In this blog post, we include details on the above three commonly used roof measurement technologies and their benefits. These new technologies are being vastly adopted by roofing contractors to ensure accurate, timely, and efficient measurements and estimating.

Aerial Measurement Technologies

Aerial measurement technologies have been around for almost 15 years. They use aerial imagery from drones and satellites. The images are processed using computer algorithms to create a 3D model of the property.

According to some reports, the measurements extracted from aerial images can be as accurate as 95%. Many companies have now developed top-of-the-line roof measurement software in order to help contractors obtain accurate measurements.

Some of the most accurate roof management software that use aerial imagery include:

Eagleview

The Eagleview roof measurement software is designed to provide roof contractors with a more streamlined workflow. The software uses high-resolution aerial imagery to churn out accurate results.

The software employs patented technology to derive measurements and 3D property diagrams from aerial imagery. The best part is that roof contractors don’t have to carry a laptop with them to derive the measurements. The Eagleview app allows access to the data on the go. It has been designed to act as a work organizer as well. The dashboard also shows all the properties previously calculated.

GAF QuickMeasure

GAF QuickMeasure is an affordable and accurate roof measurement service that can deliver measurement reports for a single-family house in an hour. The report consists of all the measurements a contractor needs to provide its customers with an estimate. The parameters calculated include area, facets, pitch, eaves, rakes, valleys, and parapet walls.

The report is ordered from a desktop or mobile device, and the algorithm will create a 3D model of the area and provide the required measurements. According to the developers, the reports are warranted to be 95% accurate.

Hover e360

This software uses patented technology and requires contractors or homeowners that have been invited by the contractor to capture 8 photos of the property. Using these images, the algorithm transforms the images into a 3D model and measurement report that provides accurate exterior measurements. An upgraded report can include the siding and soffit measurements as well as visual design in the 3D model for renovating the exterior of a home.

Hover e360 is another type of report that helps determine an estimate of the material used up to the last nail. Using the application, contractors and homeowners can design new roofs, test different colors and textures, add virtual windows, and more.

Benefits Of Using Roof Measurement Software

Some of the main benefits of roof measurement software are:

Reports are highly accurate and minimize the risk of human error
The system is safer since workers don’t have to climb the roof and take measurements manually
Helps save time and money
Due to fast measurements, there is more time to meet new prospects
Homeowners receive a copy of the measurement report for their home records
Service providers have websites and apps that are simple and convenient to navigate

About AKRoN Roofing

AKRoN Roofing offers cost-effective and resilient roofing solutions in Calgary and surrounding areas. We use measurement reports for our quotes to provide homeowners with our most accurate pricing. We provide a wide range of the best roofing materials in the market and hold the highest installation standards for all roofs. AKRoN Roofing is a proud member of the Alberta Allied Roofing Association and A+ accredited with the BBB.

We offer a variety of products for sloped roof replacements with a Class 4 rating from UL, including SBS modified architectural shingles, Euroshield recycled rubber shingles, and F-wave Synthetic shingles. Our other services include, but are not limited to, residential re-roofing with asphalt shingles, TPO membranes and 2-ply systems for flat roofing, roof repairs, and inspections of all types of roofing material by our qualified team.

AKRoN Roofing is proud of its A+ rating with BBB plus other certifications and accreditations. You can check our accreditations and certifications here. Contact us here for more information.