Hanging icicles and ice buildup on your roof is something that should be taken very seriously. Not only does the ice weigh 5 times as much as snow on the roof per sq inch, but it can also be a sign of bigger issues inside the roof.
Snow only melts on its own for two reasons: the warmth of the sun or heat escaping from the home. In both cases the water will fall to the lowest point on the roof and, in most cases, during the winter it will freeze as icicles and create ice dams. The refreezing of water has a damming effect creating an even bigger ice dam behind it. Continuous feeding of the ice dam by melting and refreezing snowmelt can cause significant damage to the roof and well damage to the interior of your home.
When the snow melts, water often trickles through cracks in your roof. Water damage can cause ceilings, infrastructure, and roofs to warp or rot. The ugly brown stains throughout your home are a tell-tale sign of water damage and an immediate signal that you must remove snow from your roof. To check the snow load on your home, cut a 1-foot by 1-foot square the full depth of the snow from your roof into a plastic bag and weigh the bag.
If there is any ice in your square foot, be sure to include it. The weight of the bag with the snow in it will tell you the weight of snow load per square foot on your roof. For homes in Northwestern Colorado, anything in excess of 60lbs should be considered dangerous. In all cases, we recommend checking with Berlet Roofing and your local municipality to determine snow loads for your area. Check out this snow load calculator from Jonathan Ochshorn , formerly of Cornell University, for more about possible snow loads in your area.
Warping manifests as cracks in your walls. Another easy indicator that professionals and homeowners alike can use, is to keep an eye on center-of-the-house doors, like the door to the bedroom upstairs for example.
We totally understand the desire to remove snow from your roof yourself, however, we advise extreme caution in any attempt to do so and suggest that you call Berlet Roofing to remove the snow from your home. In there were several roofs which collapsed in Denver, CO due to very wet and heavy snows. Every year around various parts of the country you will hear stories of roofs that have collapsed due to the heavy weight of snow. These are usually older buildings built before the current code enforcement, or new buildings in a vulnerable stage of construction.
It is more likely to occur on low slope roofs but any roof not properly designed is vulnerable. I can understand the concern if you are getting an extreme amount of record snowfall. Building codes are based on average snowfall and take into consideration the possibility of heavier amounts, but not for EXTREME record snowfalls. So that brings us back to the question: To shovel or not to shovel? I cannot answer the question for you. Most newer building are designed to withstand the weight of the worst snow the area should get.
However, if you do shovel and it collapses while you are on the roof, you risk much more damage to yourself than loss of the building. In most cases they will do more damage than leaving it alone. They may also cause themselves personal injury by climbing a ladder with snow packed boots or slipping off the roof. If you truly feel there is concern contact a quality roofing contractor to help advise you before the storms hit.
Unfortunately, others wait until there are issues like water leaks and ice dams before they think of preventative measures to protect their home. In some instances, keeping snow on the roof is good to help with further insulating a home — which means savings on the heating bill, as well — but heavy snow loads can also lead to trouble. A few factors to consider when looking at the best time to shovel snow are:. As mentioned above, there are many factors to consider when considering when to shovel a roof, but there is a scientific formula that local roofers and snow removers use to calculate the snow load.
Knowing that you have a 15lb snow load on your roof, you can now chat with a snow removal professional about the right time to have the snow removed. In Grand County, we would always recommend homeowners follow their roofing warranty for recommended snow load before deciding on roofing snow removal ; however, for reference, the recommended snow load per pound for removal is 40lbs.
0コメント