Just realized most roofers in Toronto are skipping the ice and water shield on sheds and garages

Tbh I've been doing roof work on the side for about 3 years now and I keep seeing guys throw regular felt on flat shed roofs or small garages without any ice and water shield near the eaves. Last month I helped a buddy replace his garden shed roof that was only 5 years old and the plywood was totally rotted under the felt because water got trapped under ice dams. I asked him who installed it and he said some handyman off Kijiji. It costs maybe 60 bucks extra for a roll of ice and water shield and it would have saved him 400 in plywood and labor. Why are people so cheap about this one detail? Has anyone else noticed how many small buildings around the GTA are just asking for leaks because of this?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_mitchell1mo agoOG Member

Every handyman and side-hustle roofer skips the ice and water shield, that's the problem. They see a little shed and think "nah it's just a garden building" but water finds every weak spot. I pulled apart a buddy's garage last spring that was done by some kid off Facebook Marketplace and the entire bottom two feet of plywood was mush. Cost him $300 to replace the sheathing because someone saved $40 on a roll of shield.

max_torres441mo ago

...and it's not even just a money thing half the time. My neighbor had a guy come out to do his detached garage and the roofer flat out told him ice and water shield was only for houses, that sheds and garages don't need it because they're not heated. I walked over and asked the guy why he'd say that when water still runs off the roof and can freeze at the edge of any structure. The guy just shrugged and said that's how he's always done it. Three years later my neighbor had a leak during a thaw and peeled back the shingles to find the felt was completely waterlogged and the plywood was starting to rot near the drip edge. The whole thing cost him twice what it would have to just do it right from the start. I don't get why some guys fight so hard against a simple extra layer that takes maybe 20 extra minutes to install.

angela5871mo ago

Honestly, that "that's how I've always done it" line drives me nuts. @max_torres44, I had the same thing happen with my own shed. I did the research myself and just bought a roll of ice and water shield from the hardware store. I paid a guy to help me install it, and he kept saying it was overkill. I told him to just do it anyway. Now five winters later, that shed is bone dry, and my neighbor who didn't do it had to replace half his roof deck last spring. It's like those guys think their pride is worth more than your roof. Took me maybe 30 minutes tops to lay it down across the eaves, and it saved me from a headache down the road.