Common Roofing Myths Calgary Homeowners Should Stop Believing

Picture this: a backyard BBQ in Tuscany, summer 2023. A well-meaning neighbour named Dave is giving roofing advice to a new homeowner on the street. “Just slap new shingles over the old ones,” he says confidently. “Saves you thousands.” The new homeowner nods, taking mental notes from someone who flooded his own basement last year trying to fix a sump pump.

This scene plays out across Calgary every summer. Roofing myths get repeated so often at neighbourhood gatherings and family dinners that people start treating them as gospel truth. The problem? When homeowners make roofing decisions based on bad information, things get expensive fast.

Here are the myths that need to die. Like, yesterday.

“A New Roof Means No Worries for 30 Years”

This one gets repeated constantly. Homeowner gets a new roof installed, mentally checks “roof” off their list for the next three decades, and moves on with life. Makes sense on the surface, right?

Here’s the problem. Calgary isn’t exactly gentle on roofs. That nasty hailstorm in June 2020 damaged thousands of homes in the northeast. The windstorm in November that same year ripped shingles off houses all over Panorama Hills. And chinooks? Going from minus 20 to plus 10 in a single afternoon puts serious stress on roofing materials.

Even brand new roofs need a once-over every year. Flashing works loose. Sealant cracks. Shingles lift at the edges. Catching these things early means a $150 repair instead of a $4,000 headache. Your car is new too, but you still change the oil.

“Everything Looks Fine From the Driveway”

Ground-level roof inspections are basically useless. Sorry, but that’s the truth.

Nobody can see cracked flashing around a furnace vent from the driveway. Those lifted shingles on the back slope? Invisible from the patio. And that slow leak forming where the roof meets the chimney? Completely undetectable until water starts dripping through the dining room ceiling during Christmas dinner. It happens more often than you’d think.

Real inspections require someone physically on the roof, checking seals, examining shingle condition up close, and looking at all those transition points where different surfaces meet. For homeowners unsure about their roof’s actual condition, booking an inspection with a local professional beats guessing every single time.

“Pack the Attic With Insulation”

This one sounds so logical that questioning it feels wrong. Calgary winters are brutal. More insulation means more warmth. Simple math, right?

Except attics aren’t supposed to be airtight. They need to breathe. When homeowners pack insulation into every corner and block all the vents, moisture from the house has nowhere to go. It rises into the attic, hits the cold underside of the roof deck, and condenses. In winter, that moisture freezes. Come spring, it thaws and soaks into the wood.

Roofers have seen roof decks so rotted from this exact situation that they were soft to the touch. The homeowner had no idea because everything looked normal from inside the house. Insulation matters. So does ventilation. Both need to work together, not one overwhelming the other.

“Shingles Are Shingles, Just Buy the Cheapest”

Walk into any building supply store and you’ll see budget shingles for $25 a bundle sitting next to premium options at $60 or more. Triple the price for basically the same thing? Seems like highway robbery.

But here’s what that price difference actually buys. Better impact resistance, which matters a lot when golf ball sized hail hits the neighbourhood every few years. Improved wind ratings for those days when gusts top 100 km/h. Algae resistance that keeps roofs from developing ugly black streaks. And warranties that actually mean something.

A roof isn’t like buying paper towels where the cheap stuff works fine. Materials that can’t handle Calgary’s climate fail early. Then homeowners pay for labour and materials all over again 12 years from now instead of 25. That “savings” doesn’t look so smart at that point.

“Roof Work Has to Wait Until Spring”

Tell that to the family in Bridgeland whose roof started leaking last January. What were they supposed to do, put buckets under the drip and wait four months?

Yes, warm weather makes roofing easier. Shingles seal better when it’s hot. Working conditions are more comfortable. Nobody’s arguing that point. But experienced Calgary roofers work through winter because roofs don’t politely schedule their problems for convenient seasons.

Emergency repairs absolutely can happen in cold weather. Full replacements might get pushed to spring when possible, but waiting months while water damages a home isn’t the money-saving move some people think it is. Water damage spreads. Mold grows. What started as a few hundred dollars in repairs becomes a full renovation project.

“Pressure Washing Gets Rid of That Ugly Moss”

Moss, algae, and those dark streaks on north-facing slopes look terrible. And a pressure washer seems like the obvious fix. It works great on decks and driveways, so why not the roof?

Because it destroys shingles in the process. Those little granules on the surface aren’t decorative. They protect the asphalt from UV damage and give shingles their fire resistance. High-pressure water blasts them right off. It also forces water up under shingles and into places it was never meant to go.

Soft washing with proper cleaning solutions handles moss and algae without the destruction. Takes longer. Less satisfying than the immediate results of pressure washing. But the roof actually survives the process, which seems like a reasonable trade-off.

“Just Layer New Shingles Over the Old Ones”

Back to Dave’s advice. This is technically allowed by building code in some situations. Up to two layers of shingles on a roof is permitted. So it must be fine, right?

Legal and smart aren’t the same thing. Layering shingles adds hundreds of pounds to the roof structure. It traps heat between layers, which speeds up deterioration. And worst of all, it hides whatever’s happening with the deck underneath. Got some soft spots starting to develop? Nobody would know until there’s a serious structural problem.

Tear-off costs more upfront, no question. But it provides a chance to inspect and repair the deck, install proper underlayment, and start fresh with a system that’ll last. When homeowners are ready to do it right, getting quotes from contractors who give honest options beats listening to people who just tell you what you want to hear.

“The Warranty Guarantees That Lifespan”

A 30-year warranty does not mean 30 years of trouble-free performance. Read the fine print sometime. Most warranties are heavily prorated after the first few years. Coverage for labour? Often limited or excluded entirely. And there’s usually a long list of conditions that void coverage completely.

In Calgary’s climate, expecting a 30-year shingle to actually last 30 years is optimistic. Between UV exposure, hail events, and temperature swings, 20 to 23 years is more realistic. Planning accordingly beats being shocked when a “guaranteed” roof needs replacement ahead of schedule.

The Bottom Line

These myths stick around because they sound reasonable. They get repeated by people who seem like they know what they’re talking about. And sometimes believing them means putting off expenses that nobody wants to deal with.

But a roof is literally the thing standing between a family and the elements. It deserves decisions based on facts, not folklore. Get it inspected regularly. Use quality materials. Don’t cut corners with layering or skip maintenance because everything “looks fine” from the ground.

And maybe think twice before taking roofing advice from Dave at the BBQ.