Calgarians are used to hail storms, but in recent years, they seem to be growing in intensity.
After the epic hailstorm of August 5, which caused widespread damage to tens of thousands of homes, there is a growing demand for changes to Alberta’s provincial building codes.
These changes could ensure homes are constructed with more robust materials capable of withstanding the increasingly frequent and severe hailstorms plaguing the region.
The most recent storm wreaked havoc on neighbourhoods in north Calgary, particularly in the Livingston community. The storm left many homes with shredded siding and battered roofs.
Julian Brimelow of the Northern Hail Project highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that “the storms will keep coming” and questioning whether Calgary’s homes are built to endure such extreme weather.
Unfortunately, he concluded, they are not.
Shingles and Siding
The two most common materials used in the construction of Calgary homes are asphalt shingles and vinyl siding; both materials do poorly when hit by hail, especially larger hail like that recorded in the recent storm.
Brimelow singled out vinyl siding as one of the worst materials for protecting a house in a hailstorm. Most Calgary homes in the north are clad with vinyl siding.
The storm’s aftermath affected an estimated 36,000 homes and predicted insured damage costs potentially mirrored the $1.2 billion in damages from the 2020 hailstorm, making it one of Canada’s costliest natural disasters.
The 2020 storm, which also hit Calgary, ranks as the fourth costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, further emphasizing the urgent need for building code revisions.
Changes Called For
Calgary Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal is among those advocating for these changes, arguing that communities prone to hail damage should have stricter construction requirements.
“Let’s make sure that the builders are required to put in the material that can withstand these kinds of storms in the future,” Dhaliwal urged, reflecting the concerns of constituents who have experienced significant recurring property damage from multiple storms within a few short years.
Mairead Walsh, a building envelope consultant with Keller Engineering, echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of using more durable exterior materials in hail-prone areas like Calgary and central Alberta, which are part of Alberta’s Hailstone Alley.
Hailstone Alley stretches from High River northward through Calgary through Red Deer to Lacombe and then westward to Rocky Mountain House. It is known to be one of the worst areas in the world for damaging hail produced by thunderstorms.
Walsh pointed out that materials like fibre cement siding and traditional stucco offer significantly more hail resistance than vinyl.
Other hail-proof siding options include hardie board, brick, or stone veneer. Slate or clay tiles are much more robust than asphalt shingles for roofs.
Beyond the immediate financial implications of ruined shingles and siding, there are environmental concerns as well, since damaged shingles and vinyl siding end up in landfills after severe storms.
However, Walsh acknowledged that cost is a significant barrier to people, as the more resilient materials are often more expensive.
Change Doubtful
Despite the clear need for stronger building materials in Alberta’s Hailstone Alley, Dave Turnbull, president of Enerspec Energy Consulting, expressed skepticism about the likelihood of any immediate changes to the building codes.
Turnbull pointed out that affordability remains a key concern, particularly during an economic downturn. Adding more resilient building materials would simply increase housing costs.
The cost-benefit analysis required for code changes and the fact that the next federal building code revisions will not be considered until 2030 means that any provincial adjustments would face significant challenges.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada noted that six of Canada’s ten costliest natural disasters have occurred in Alberta, with hailstorms, wildfires, and floods causing billions in damages.
As these extreme weather events become more frequent, the pressure is mounting on all levels of government to take proactive measures, including revising building codes, to protect communities and reduce the financial and environmental toll of such disasters.
The latest epic hailstorm in Calgary reminds us that building codes of the past may not be adequate to deal with the increasingly frequent storms of the present and future.
As calls for change grow louder, it remains to be seen whether both the provincial and federal governments will take the necessary steps to update building codes, ensuring that homes in hail-prone areas are better equipped to withstand future storms.
