Why ice dam prevention works differently in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake sits in a freeze-thaw belt, and freeze-thaw is what quietly takes apart masonry, flashing and venting.
Air-sealing and window upgrades have made Niagara-on-the-Lake homes far tighter than they were designed to be, and a tight house starves a natural-draft appliance of the make-up air it needs.
Salt spray and road grit carried by winter wind accelerate corrosion on exterior metal components far faster in Halton than the manufacturer's rating assumes.
Across Glendale, Line 3, Garrison Village, Chautauqua and Line 1, the housing stock changes street by street, and the correct method changes with it. A century home with a soft-brick stack does not get the same treatment as a 2010 build with a factory-built vent — using one method on both is how systems get damaged.
If you live anywhere near the Shaw Festival, the practical takeaway is that a ice dam prevention visit should start with an assessment, not a tool. Any crew that begins work before telling you what they found is guessing on your behalf.