After a heavy snowfall, roofers recommend removing as much snow off of your roof as possible. Heavy snow not only adds excessive weight to your roof, which can cause major roof damage, but sets in motion a really annoying (and potentially expensive) phenomenon called the ice dam.
As the rooftop snow melts and refreezes, it forms dams of ice at the roof edges. These ice dams trap melted snow causing the water to pool. Without proper drainage, the water has nowhere to go and eventually takes the path of least resistance making its way into the home causing significant water damage to insulation, walls, and ceilings.
Keeping your roof clear of snow is the quick fix way to prevent the formation of ice dams. Roof rakes and snow shovels can be used to pull snow off of the roof. However, chipping and channeling ice dams can be tricky, especially if they have had time to thicken. Before making an attempt to do the job yourself, be sure you know how to safely remove heavy snow from your roof and deal with ice dams. When in doubt, call on the professionals. The last thing you want is to cause more damage resulting in an additional roof repair bill.
In the article below, How to Keep Your Roof from Collapsing, gives us some quick guide on how to avoid excessive damage during winter nightmares:
Winter nightmares aren't just limited to dangerous roads and extreme cold. With heavy snowfall comes the threat of building damages and collapses. According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), in the first 48 hours after the Groundhog Day snowstorm, there were more than 80 collapses and buildings with structural weaknesses reported to MEMA.
Snow-related building collapses are usually caused by heavy loads of snow on roofs, so this season has been unique because of the extreme weather. Recent rain and sleet made the situation even worse, since the rain could get soaked up by the snow and add even more weight to roofs.
A cubic foot of dry snow weighs about 6 to 8 pounds, while one cubic foot of packed snow could weigh up to 20 pounds. The same volume of ice can weigh three times this amount.
There is a permanent solution to ridding yourself of ice dams altogether and that involves installing more adequate insulation, sealing, and roof ventilation to your home. The upfront cost of such upgrades may seem hefty, but in the long run, you’ll save money on your energy bill and sanity.
Just remember, a heavy snowfall can be winter fun for everyone, especially when you have someone else clearing your snow-covered roofs.
Browse other blogs by keywords:
roofing safety snow guard winter roofing
Immediate Response!
