An insurance company in Thunder Bay, Ontario has gone above and beyond for its clients, emailing them about the state of their roofing in light of wild winter weather.

“We sent out a message just letting people know that they should be taking a look at their roof structure, and additional buildings on the property — sheds and garages and such,” Jones and Associates Insurance president Jeff Jones told CBC News in an interview.

According to Jones, the amount of snow – together with temperature fluctuations – is already causing problems among properties in the area.

“We’ve started to see the collapse of some garage, shed structures and then some commercial buildings and farms as well,” he said.

Jones recommended that property owners worried about the snow and ice buildup on their roofs should call in professionals to assess the situation.

If too much ice accumulates on a roof, it means snowmelt has nowhere to go. This buildup can cause water to seep into shingles and freeze up, causing damage to the structure.

On Side Restoration Services project manager Karen Schmidt recommends that homeowners should keep their eaves free of ice, and keep as much snow off the roof as possible.