Raising the Roof
Steel roofing inspires and awes in Ontario’s Cottage Country
Story: Ian VanDuzer
Photography: Ryan Ware
Like many parts of our homes, we seem to only notice the roof above our heads when it’s causing problems: when there’s a leak dripping into the attic, or when we have to clean shingles off the lawn after a particularly bad windstorm.
But what happens when things do go wrong, when those roofs spring a leak, or simply start to wear out? After all, a typical shingle roof will last between 15-20 years — odds are, you’ll have to change your roof at some point in your life. And when that time comes, it’s worth wondering: is there a better solution here? Can my new roof work better than my old one?
You won’t be surprised to learn that, yes, there is a better roof system out there, and yes, it does involve steel.
Steel roofing is on the rise: in the United States, steel roofing accounts for 18% of the total residential roofing market, growing significantly since the turn of the millennium. With all of the benefits of the steel roof, it’s a trend that is likely to continue.
Why homeowners are choosing steel roofing
North of Toronto, Ontario lies the large (but not Great) Lake Simcoe, and north of that lies Lake Couchiching. The lake represents the entrance to Ontario Cottage Country, although most residents will live in their lakefront homes year-round.
“It’s a beautiful area,” says Jordan Gerner of Hy-Grade Steel Roofing. “But it’s also an area that gets a lot of rain — because of Lake Simcoe — and a lot of snow and ice from Georgian Bay to the west.”
How much snow is a lot of snow? The area typically receives around 280 cm (about 110 inches) of snow each year, but this year was exemplary: as of March, Lake Couchiching had weathered 490 cm of snow in the 2025-26 winter season.
With conditions like that, one of Hy-Grade’s clients are especially happy with their decision to upgrade their roofing system last year. Hy-Grade quickly renovated the 1920s two-storey red-brick house on a gorgeous lakefront property last spring.
Puttin’ on the roof
Just over a month after the quote was signed, the clients had a new, shining steel roof atop their main house. That may seem like a quick turnaround from initial quotes to completion, but Gerner says the speed is due to their system.
Typically, Gerner says, Hy-Grade would look at drawings of the house and identify any complicated areas, like chimneys or where two different slopes connect. Those require distinct parts, manufactured in advance at Hy-Grade’s plant, and then shipped to the site along with all of the rest of the materials.
“We can do anything,” Gerner grins. “There’s no roof too high; there are only roofs that are too flat. It just means further considerations.”
Steel roofing – advantages and systems
Once the pieces are fabricated, they’re all shipped to the site together to be installed by Hy-Grade’s local crews. The main building blocks of the system are the shakes: steel shingles that are nailed together.
Once on-site, Hy-Grade lays down a latticework of 2x2” wooden strapping atop the existing roof. Then the pieces — shakes, valleys, vents, and flashing — are all nailed into place. “The strapping gives us a bit of an air pocket, which helps with ventilation,” explains Gerner.
Once installed, Hy-Grade’s 50 year leak-proof guarantee officially starts, although Gerner says that 50 years is a little conservative. “The steel in the roof can last much, much longer than that,” he says. “The warranty is due to, over time, ice and snow pulling the shakes apart a little. But the steel itself could last a hundred years.”
Even 50 years is a long time — you could replace your asphalt shingles three to four times before starting to have issues with your steel roof. That, plus the added durability, and the aesthetics of a sleek metal roof, makes choosing a steel roof a lot more attractive.
“Hey, who did your roof?”
All of those factors led to Hy-Grade’s clients choosing a steel roof. Their previous roof was old and starting to degrade, and they were looking for a solution that would last. “We got this call: ‘our roof is worn out,’” Gerner says. “They wanted a one-and-done solution. They didn’t want to have to do this again.”
As far as complications, Gerner says the project went off without a hitch.
Soon after the installation was complete — and the shiny steel roof shone across Lake Couchiching — Hy-Grade got another two calls from other homeowners in the area. “It’s a pretty tight-knit community,” Gerner points out. “It’s hard to miss when changes happen.”
The first roof was installed in May. By July and August, Hy-Grade was working on two other houses along Lake Couchiching. “Not neighbours,” Gerner says, “but down-the-road-and-to-the-left-ers.”
It’s no mystery what had happened: all of the factors — the durability, the protection from winter weather, the longevity — that made the first steel roof attractive were realized by the second and third homeowners. “I don’t know if there were conversations, or if it was a case of, ‘Oh! They just did their roof, maybe we should do ours, too,” says Gerner.
In either case, with almost 500 cm of snow this past season, it seems to have been a great decision made at the perfect time.
SPECIFICATIONS
STEEL FABRICATORS/SUPPLIERS:
Hy-Grade Steel Roofing, Color Steels Inc.
PRODUCT:
26-gauge, G-90 double-sided galvanized Canadian steel
COLOUR:
Slate Gray, Barrier Series PVC
STEEL:
ArcelorMittal Dofasco
