3 Ways Snow & Ice Can Harm Your Roof

When winter rolls around, most of us prepare by stocking up on road salt, switching tires, and piling up firewood. We don’t immediately think of our roofs, even though they’re the only things standing between us and several inches of heavy snow. Before the weather turns cold, inspect your roof and be sure it’s ready to stand up to freezing snow and ice. Here are just a few things that could put your roofing at risk:

1. Snow weight. Snow is surprisingly heavy--even if it’s just a few inches. And once enough piles up, a roof that isn’t reinforced enough could quickly come crashing down. Flat roofing is particularly susceptible to collapse from heavy snow loads. We recommend investing in a roof snow removal plan to put your mind completely at ease.

                            

2. Moisture damage. If a roof isn’t airtight, melting snow and ice can create streams of water that penetrate seams. Once this water is inside your building, it can lead to mold and mildew growth that eventually weakens the entire structure--especially the roof. Not only that, any moisture trapped in these seems could freeze and expand, causing additional damage.

3. Ice buildup. Have you ever noticed icicles forming along the underside of a building’s roof? Though it’s common, it’s also a sign that water isn’t draining properly. Ice formation can seriously damage your gutters and other parts of your roof.

To be sure your home or business is “covered” in the event of snow buildup, ask about a roof snow removal plan. 

Understanding Roof Snow Load Measurement

If you live in a region that sees lots of snow every winter, it’s well worth your time to learn how to measure the weight of snow accumulating on your roof. An individual flake might not weigh much at all, but when all those flakes get together, it could spell disaster for your building--especially if you manage or own commercial property, which tends to have flat roofing rather than pitched roofing.

Snow load formulas differ depending on what type of roof you’re measuring: flat or pitched. For flat roofing, you’ll want to use a yardstick to measure the average depth of snow piling up there. Translate that number to feet. (For example, 12 inches is one foot.)

Then, fill a 1x1-foot container with snow and weigh it. You’ll multiply that weight by the depth of the snow. The resulting number should tell you how many pounds of snow your roof is carrying per square foot.

Sounds complex? For many business owners, it is. Constantly monitoring how much snow your building’s roof gets is exhausting and unrealistic, especially for large properties. (Don’t even get us started on pitched roofing--that formula is even more complex.) A roof snow load measurement system will simplify the task by doing the hard work for you.

To find out how professional roof snow load measurement can protect your business, get in touch with our team.