Halifax roofing companies scramble ahead of wet weekend

Between the Christmas Day storm and last week’s nasty nor’easter, Atlantic Canadians have been getting slammed by messy winter weather.

Gusty winds have also meant many homes’ rooftops were damaged. With much of the region expecting up to 50 millimetres of rain this weekend, that means roofers have been out in full force throughout the region.

In Halifax, Chris Hubley with Secure Roofing said the calls have been non-stop since Christmas.

“Throughout the middle of the night, the phone just starting ringing and it hasn’t stopped since,” Hubley said.

“I’m going on probably Day 6 of 12-hour days, sun up to sun down, non-stop doing repairs.”

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READ MORE: ‘Significant’ weather systems to bring rain, freezing temperatures to Nova Scotia

Hubley said the biggest issue they’re seeing is missing shingles, something that can create serious issues for homeowners if not addressed.

“You could potentially have leaks inside your home, damaging gyp-rock, creating mold overtime,” he said.

“It can really damage the structure inside of your home, so a small repair could really save thousands of dollars.”

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Contractors aren’t the only ones who have been busy.

The back-to-back storms have meant that restoration companies and insurance adjusters have been working non-stop to keep up with incoming claims.

“We’ve been dispatching lots of roofing companies to put patches on roofs and making sure just to make sure we’re ready, borrowing staff from other provinces and the U.S.,” said Nathalie Jacobi at the FirstOnSite Restoration office in Dartmouth.

READ MORE: Intense storm causing power outages, damage and closures in N.S.

Jacobi said she estimates the number of claims is upwards of 500 in just the past few weeks, adding it’s likely that number could rise if this weekend’s forecast is correct.

“We’re seeing trees falling, hitting homes, knocking decks off. We are seeing fences that are completely blown over,” she said.

“With the cold, freezing weather, we’re seeing frozen pipes and as those thaw, water intrusion into parts of people’s homes.”

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She said they have crews on standby in the event of inclement weather this weekend.