Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Working At Heights Safely in the GTA

Every year in Ontario people fall while performing work at heights. Fortunately, there are preventative measures that can be taken to protect workers who are at risk. Ropes and harnesses are required by law for anyone working over 10 feet high.

Inspectors are few and far between so the onus is on the companies to conduct themselves safely.

Toronto Homeowners can do their part by hiring companies that work safely. Don't be afraid to tell the contractor you are hiring that you expect safety on your property.

Knowing what the law is and how it can keep workers safe at heights really makes it hard to turn a blind eye. Some high risk activities are roofing, eavestroughing, painting, and window and eavestrough cleaning.

Reduce your liability and hire smart. You may save a life!







Visit our website at www.eavestrough.ca

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Why Do Downspouts Fill With Ice?

Iced up downspouts are often cause for concern. You may wonder if the ice is blocking the downspouts due to a blockage of some sort. While this can be a factor in some cases it's more than likely just frozen water. The snow on the roof melts off the roof due to heat loss through the attic. The melted snow then runs down into the downspout which is not heated by the roof or in direct sunlight. The water instantly turns back to ice creating an ice filled downspout.


Adding more downspout or larger downspouts are not effective strategies for solving this problem. They will ice up just the same as the problem downpipe. If you really want to solve this you have to go to the root cause which is generally a heat loss issue in the attic. If fixing the insulation or ventilation in the attic is not feasible due to money or logistic reasons then a heater cable traced down the pipe can be very effective to keep your pipes free of ice.



Here is a quick video of a Toronto home with no ice issues. The pipe stays free of ice and snow.



Visit our website at www.eavestrough.ca