Academia Roofing & Attics

had a roof leak and Gordon responded right away and had good info. for things to watch out for in the future and places that need attention sooner than later.

If you are looking for a knowledgeable and conscientious roofer then we think you are looking for Gordon Bailey.

We had our roof replaced by a different roofing company about 15 years ago and although the high quality shingles we selected at that time were still in excellent condition the poor quality installation of those shingles and the inadequate ventilation of our roof meant we had to strip them off and start all over again.

Gordon and his team ensured that our roof was properly prepared, that the existing metal work was stripped and meticulously replaced and perhaps most importantly that our roof was (finally) properly ventilated.

The installation of our new roof happened during a very rainy time this spring and Gordon and his crew ensured that our roof was well protected at all times, even during torrential downpours. Not a single leak. Gordon is extremely knowledgeable and was committed to solving our roofing problems. We are grateful to him and his team for their work on our roof. They did an amazing job!

Gord Bailey is a miracle worker! We are so appreciative of the work that Gord and his team completed for a roof repair to our home. This man had to jump through hurdles to get the job done - and he was more than willing to do so to make sure we were taken care of as homeowners. A little bit of the back story. We live in a semi-detached home and had our roof "replaced" roughly 2.5 years ago by a company well-known in the Toronto area for offering "cheap" quotes and quick work. Our neighbour at the time wasn't interested in repairing her roof and this company assured us that there was going to be no issues between the new roof installed on our home and the seam that connected her old roof to ours. Fast forward to now and we had a significant leak in our home that leaked from the roof at the seam between the homes, into the attic, into the nursery room and into the ceiling of the garage on the main level! As our roof was guaranteed against leaks, we called this company back several times to come and fix the issue. They never fixed it - in fact, they told us the only way to fix it was to pay to have our neighbour's roof replaced as well! This was unacceptable so we called 5 new roofing contractors to come and take a look to see how this could be fixed. No one could figure out how to fix it. After googling roofers that enjoyed challenging problems, I came across Gord Bailey's name and read the reviews for his company Academia Roofing. I sent him an email and a phone call later he was able to tell us what the problem was just by looking at our roof from the outside on his computer (ice dam, poor installation of new roof and a multitude of other issues as well). After hearing our story, he was willing to not only come fix the problem for an area he doesn't regularly service (Bolton), but also sign legal paperwork from our attached neighbour guaranteeing any work he did that touched on her roof (no other contractor was willing to do this and therefore our roof could never be fixed properly)! Now I won't deny it, the repair cost as much as what we paid to have the entire roof installed by the bad company. However, we learned an important lesson. Always do your homework and hire the right person the FIRST time so you avoid these issues to begin with. Also, you pay for what you get and thank goodness Gord knew what he was doing. The roof is completely fixed with zero issues now. You will never go wrong hiring Gord and his team. They go above and beyond to get the job done. Thank you Gord - we felt trapped in that house but you fixed it and handled a delicate situation with the neighbour as well!

My wife and I found ourselves in a situation that we never imagined. We are typically quite meticulous in performing our due diligence with respect to the trades people that we utilize. Unfortunately our referencing failed us and we found ourselves with a leaking roof months after having it completely re-shingled.
We had over 25 litres of water pour into our kitchen after tracking down the second story wall. This landed us in the mess of requiring major repairs, both structurally and cosmetically.
We contacted Gord Bailey of Academia Roofing and Attics as a result of his HomeStars reviews and ratings. Gord showed up immediately and assessed the situation. I very trepidatiously paid Gord the $500 consultation fee. He advised that if he were awarded the job, the $500 would be put toward the balance (which he did). That same day, Gord had his team remove the ice damn that had built up because of the poorly repaired roof.
Gord took the time to sit with us for over three hours and explain exactly what had occurred with respect to the botched repair job of my previous contractor. Gord then gave an estimate of between $15,000-$20,000 to effect the repairs after explaining exactly what needed to be done. It should be noted that his price is on the high side but he stuck to the quote range he gave us after all was said and done.
Gord recommended a number of companies to contact for quotations for the purposes of comparative analysis. We did this and as I said before, found Gord to be on the high side with respect to price. However, we noted that Gord refused to cut any corners to reduce cost. Essentially, either Gord will perform the work according to his high standards or not at all. He will not compromise with respect to quality. In the end, this won us over.
Gord is also well connected with a number of other trades which we utilized to effect many of the required repairs outside of Gord’s scope of work. Gord seems to have numerous friends within the trades community that share his uncompromising quest for quality.
Due to weather and manpower issues, Gord's repairs took longer than expected. It seems clear that Gord is quite frustrated with the general inability to obtain decent trades people or even reasonable hired help. That being said, the repairs were eventually completed to a very high standard of exactitude.
In the end, we have made a lifelong friend that I stay in close contact with on a very regular basis. He has helped us improve our home in other areas and gone so far as to instruct and help me with constructing the most stable and robust fence I have ever seen in a residential neighborhood. Suffice it to say, Gord is the type of person that I would trust with the spare key to my house. Gord is worth waiting for if you are able to obtain his services.

I had a great experience with Gordon and his team of Academia Roofing & Attics. I initially suspected a water infiltration close to the window, and wasn't sure where it was from or what was the issue exactly. When Gordon came, I like how he pointed out potential other issues I could / might have just by looking the house outside as an initial inspection. Once he started the investigation and went to the attic, he brought to my attention an unrelated and much worse issue - frost in the attic, with huge icicles close the pipes that connects to the vent. He also took picture of the poor job that the builder had done on my attic my not putting the proper barriers and also covering the soffits, compromizing the house air circulation. I trully appreciate the options offered to not only address my original issue, but also address this much worse problem. Gordon and his team are very attentive to details, not cutting corners, and they literally took the time required to do a great job (one of the days they stayed until 1am working at the attic!!). I also appreciate that the agreed price was kept without changes, within the range of possibilities to find, even though he and his team required to put more hours due to the unforeseen nature of some of the work - whatever it takes to it well and once for good. I also appreciate how careful and attentive he was to several details through the work. I got top-quality materials, and this with his detail-oriented work is what allows him to give such good warranty for his work.

There are lots of contractors out there, and I`ve used a few. But none of them are so dedicated, passionate and professional, taking the time to do a good job like Gordon and his team at Academia. I`m confident to use him for any future work on my roof and I highly recommend anyone to leverage the skill and experience of Gordon and his team for the work they provide.

Rod

We noticed a water stain in the ceiling of our closet and attic hatch. Upon further inspection into the attic we noticed that the insulation beside the hatch was moist and a layer of frost and what appeared to be wet, blackened wood was visible at the top of the rafters. We then decided to call Academia Roofing based on the reviews we read on HomeStars. Gordon Bailey responded promptly to our inquiry and came to our residence that same day. Gordon took all the time necessary to explain the deficiencies and recommended a detailed solution to remedy the issues. Our first impression of Gordon was that he was extremely knowledgeable about his trade. He also impressed upon us that he was not interested in approaching our moisture problem with a "band aid" solution. He would prefer to walk away from any job that did not address all the issues concerning a permanent solution. He made it very clear that the cost for his services was often higher than most; given the quality materials, workmanship and time required to complete a proper fix.
Our Assessment:
1. Our initial phone call was answered promptly.
2. Gordon provided us with a detailed analysis, including pictures, of our problem. A detailed solution was recommended and priced accordingly.
3. The time required to complete our project took longer than anticipated due to seasonal issues (i.e. extreme cold weather) and delays due to health related issues.
4. The crew was courteous and kept the worksite clean at all times.
5. Gordon responded to all inquiries promptly and kept us apprised of each facet of the repair.
Our Solution:
Gordon and Tony completed the following tasks as indicated in the solution recommendation:
they first cleared our clogged attic soffits, baffles were inserted and the roofing vents were reconfigured to allow proper airflow. A new and improved roof vent was also installed. A new attic hatch was constructed and installed. Gordon was also shocked at the lack of care the builder had taken in the removal of plywood sheeting that was obstructing the airflow. He ensured it was removed. Gordon also spray foamed the areas that were problematic and added new blown in insulation to increase the "R" value above current standards thus providing additional protection from heat loss. Our ceiling light fixtures were also condomized to prevent moisture and heat loss.
A key contributor to our moisture issue was the fact that our bathroom exhaust fans were inadequate resulting in paint peeling from the bathroom ceilings. Upon closer inspection Gordon found that our exhaust pipes leading from the ceiling fans to the roof were in need of repair. One of the pipes was not even fastened to the ceiling nor was it properly insulated which contributed to condensation dripping onto the attic floor. New, modern bathroom exhaust fans, timers and properly insulated pipes were installed.
Our Experience:
Gordon is obsessed with perfection. He wasn't satisfied unless his crew performed to his high standards. It appeared that he took greater care than was necessary from a customer's perspective. He was obsessed with detail. To our surprise, Gordon had Tony replace two twenty year old vents on the side of our house with modern metal vents. He was not required to do this, but felt it was a necessary extra. He also replaced and repaired our leaking down pipes as an added value without charge. This is unheard of in this day and age. We have found very few honest, caring contracting professionals in our experience. Gordon not only met our expectations, he exceeded them. He was even mindful of our pets and brought them treats! We would like to thank Academia Roofing , Gordon, Tony and crew for a job well done!

Gordon and his team at Academia are amazing. I had them do our roof 10 years ago. At the time, my neighbour made fun of me for not going with a cheaper quote. Now his shingles are showing wear even though they were done more recently, and mine look like they could have been installed yesterday. The roof has been completely solid. You get what you pay for, and Gordon is worth paying for.

So why am I writing this review now? Because a couple of weeks ago when the cold snap ended I noticed water draining down from behind the fascia at one point along the side. I pulled out my contract with Academia, and lo and behold I still had a bit of time left in the 10-year warranty. I called Gordon, gave him the 30-second summary, and he said his guys would be there in the morning to check it out. It was that simple. No fuss, no hassle.

His guys not only came and checked the roof (run-of-the-mill ice damming after all that cold and the sudden melt, first time we've ever had it), they took the time to squeeze through my miniscule attic hatch to check things out there as well. That has to be the most thorough barely-under-warranty call I've ever heard of.

So I'm going to use Academia to do my garage roof this summer and have them put in a couple of extra roof vents as well. My old house has brick walls that go right up to the underside of the roof on the sides, so the soffits don't help to ventilate anything. The existing vents likely got completely buried in all the accumulated snow, and that's why we had an ice damming issue this year. Gordon says he knows what will fix it, and I'm sure he's right. Thanks, Gordon!

Gordon and his team at Academia responded promptly to our emergency concerns with two leaking skylights in January of 2015. Gordon sent Tony to perform the repairs and completed the work so quickly that by the time other service providers responded to our initial inquiries, the work was already done!
Tony's work was swift, quiet (he didn't even wake our sleeping baby!) and professional. And since they knew we were in an emergency situation, Tony make extra effort and completed the work on a Sunday.
We would definitely recommend Academia Roofing and will use their services again in the future when our roof needs replacing.
Thanks again Gordon and Tony!

I met Gordon as I was looking for a consult on issues that I was told to investigate regarding my new home's roof and attic. I did not realize the enormity of the situation until Gordon arrived for his consult. I expected a quick superficial visit like I was accustomed to from other contractors. Instead, I was impressed with his detail and thoroughness in his investigation. His perception of details, overall knowledge of general construction and code was remarkable. Gordon is not "just a roofer", that would be belittling his intelligence and abilities. Instead, he has provided insight into my complex home issues. Issues that span the whole range of home construction. A light in the tunnel to guide me through the quagmire of stress with my home contractor lapses. Gordon has provided value added service with his uncanny ability to be holistic in his approach. He can see causes of problems that are present and some that are not even visible at the time. One example is that he would that there was problem in my plumbing venting which would have gone undetected by anyone else. In another example, he advised a drainscope of the drains in my home and fortunately, we discovered that there was an issue with the weeping tiles. I am fortunate that this was discovered early on.
We have now retained Gordon to coordinate the remediation to the comprehensive and complex multitude of home contractor errors.
His intimate group of employees also reflect his personal attention to detail and have always been meticulous and professional.
It is difficult to rate Gordon Bailey on the homestars system as I believe that he is on another level, an exceptional standard that I have yet to find anyone else to compare to.

Dr. Nancy Lee