Spring repairs keeping N.B. contractors busy
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 | 11:06 AM AT
CBC News
Heavy snow in New Brunswick over the winter has piled up the spring contract work for repairs to homes.
New Maryland resident Michele Berry is among homeowners who have called on contractors for help.
Berry's backyard is covered by a large above ground-pool with a deck wrapped around it. The snow cover over the winter has caused the deck to collapse.
"The wood has just snapped, so we're in for some repairs this spring that were unexpected," Berry said.
Renovation contractor Chris Morehouse told CBC News that his business is up 40 per cent compared to last spring.
Most of the clients are calling for deck or roof repairs, Morehouse said.
"We've had a lot of ice dams when people didn't shovel their roofs off, and it caused the water to back up in the eaves and come in through the house," Morehouse said.
The New Brunswick Insurance Brokers Association has also seen a 35 per cent increase in claims, said Mike Daniels, spokesman for the organization.
Many of the claims have to do with ice-damming claims related to roofs not being cleared and melt waters working their way into homes, Daniels said.
Calls regarding winter damage to above-ground pools have been coming in, said Martin Budovitch, a Fredericton pool store owner.
"This is the worst I've seen in 17 years that I've been in business," Budovitch said.
Most of the repairs that contractors are being called about could have easily been avoided if homeowners had shovelled off their decks and roofs over the winter, Morehouse said.
Now anyone seeking spring repairs should be prepared to wait, he said.
"It's definitely excessive and this is going to carry on into the summer," Morehouse said.
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