REGINA — Warmer temperatures in Regina are causing issues for homeowners.
Robert Manske, manager of Dynamic Roofing & Exteriors, said rapid weather changes can cause leaks in attics.
“Going from a -35 C day to a 0 C the next day, and to causing frost and condensation in the attic that starts to leak, melt and leak.”
Manske noted that a more gradual temperature increase allows frost and humid air to evaporate and dry itself out.
“[With rapid temperatures,] it [frost or humid air] can't cool itself off to be the same as the ambient temperature outside fast enough. And then it just turns to ice and melts too fast instead of evaporating.”
Sudden temperature shifts can trigger leaks in homes with no prior issues, Manske noted.
“It's something that can't be controlled, and it's just going to happen if we're going to keep getting rapid weather changes.”
Any drywall damage caused by a leak can cost thousands of dollars, said Manske.
While temperatures can’t be controlled, Manske outlined preventive measures for homeowners.
“Things like proper air flow, proper intake ventilation, vented soffits or soft vents, roof vents, those things help.”
City clearing roadways for drivers
The city has switched its snow operations to clearing and opening catch basins.
“We run two shifts, day shift and night shift, seven days a week, 10 hours a day, these last few days, focusing primarily on clearing catch basins and mitigating those flooding conditions,” said Daryl Massier, the City of Regina's manager of roadways seasonal operations.
The city is currently focusing on Category 1-3 roads, those with the heaviest traffic.
As for residential, Massier said, “once the weather conditions get back to our normal cool, we dispatch our, we call them an underbelly plow.”
He added, “What they do is they have a plow underneath the truck and they scrape the ruts, trying to mitigate the rutting and making a more even driving surface.”
In the meantime, Massier said residents are encouraged to clear any catch basins if the ice isn’t too strenuous.
Alternatively, residents can call the city’s service centre for assistance.
