How Much Roof Snow Is Too Much?

Snowfall built up on the roof can quickly transform an industrial landscape into a peaceful winter wonderland. Though the presence of snow on the roof is beautiful in its own right, there’s a limit to how much snow a roof can support. Accumulated snow can get extremely heavy and can lead to significant structural issues, including roof leaks, interior water damage, ice dams, and even total roof collapse. Fortunately, the experts at Safe Roof Systems have put together some helpful roof snow load measurement tips to help you understand how much snow your roof can handle before danger ensues.

Roof snow load code requirements follow local ground snow load data.   Refer to your builder or engineer for your Live Load requirements.  To Illustrate how much snow can weigh consider the following examples:

• Fresh Snow - 1 foot of freshly fallen snow equals 8-10 pounds per square foot.
• Accumulating layers of Snow - 1 foot of old, packed-down snow is equivalent to 22-25 pounds per square foot.
• A Mixture of Old and wet snow - 1 foot of water-soaked and compressed snow can weigh as much as 35-45 pounds per square foot.
  

Closely monitoring the amount of snow building up on your roof is essential if you wish to avoid structural issues. Your building will be safer if you’re aware of when to mitigate the problem safely with effective snow removal services.

Rely on Safe Roof Systems to determine the load capacity of your roof with roof snow-load measurement tips. Keep these in mind to prevent structural issues.

Using a Roof Load Calculator to Measure Snow Load

That falling snow looks so light and fluffy, it’s hard to believe that too much of the white stuff can cause a roof to collapse. However, it can and does happen, especially when you’re considering the buildup of ice and snow over the course of a long winter. The smart thing to do is protect your investment in your business building with a roof load calculator.

The snow load up on the rooftop is determined by many variables. This includes everything from the roof’s shape and slope to wind exposure, and even the snow on the ground. You must also take the type of snow into consideration. There are the light, powdery flakes, and the wet, heavy snow. And, don’t forget about the ice.

The weight of snow on the roof’s structure is not something you can judge by eye. Instead, we recommend using a monitoring system. Such a system takes into consideration the variables that can occur in the amount and type of snow, as well as the type of roof you have overhead. Once you’ve figured that out, you can make arrangements for raking that snow off of the roof.

Using Numbers to Tell When It’s Time to Shovel

Those frozen bits of water that make the landscape so beautiful and magical in the winter can be a heavy burden for businesses. This is especially the case when your business building is large or has a flat or slightly sloped roof. As snow accumulates on these types of roofing, it stays put instead of sliding harmlessly to the ground. This requires you to be alert and diligent to prevent problems with your roof. And, those problems can be costly as they range from leak repair to roof replacement.

You have two factors to consider here -- the amount of snow and/or ice on your roof. You can’t forget about the ice because it’s heavier and can do far more damage. During the winter, chances are your roof is covered with both. We recommend you make use of formulas and technology to get an accurate estimate.

A roof load calculator is one method. Another is a calculator built into a monitoring system. That way, you have the numbers you need to make smart decisions, such as when to send a crew out to start shoveling roofs. A small investment in a monitoring system now saves you big money on roofing repairs and replacement in the future.

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.

Trust Our Team When You Need Assistance Shoveling Roofs

Snow comes down, and workers go up.

That may have been the way your company practiced shoveling roofs in the past, but with the application of technology, this job can be much simpler and practical.

At Safe Roof Systems, our team has the skills to provide a roof risk review and evaluation for your company. This review, along with data from the dependable and accurate snow load monitoring systems we provide, builds the foundation of an effective snow removal plan.

Monitoring allows your company to get an accurate picture of the amount of snow on your roof and the areas of heaviest concentration. The information is taken into account when enacting your shoveling plan. Rather than undertaking a wholesale cleaning of the roof and the subsequent expense of a contractor or overtime for your workers – not to mention the risk – a monitor coupled with a concrete plan will direct workers to the areas which need attention.

This method is quicker and cheaper than having a team of shovelers clearing the entire roof every time it snows. With a monitoring system, you only clear the complete roof when conditions and measurements indicate that it is the right choice.

Fewer shoveling excursions onto your roof cuts down on the amount of wear and tear on the roof itself, and the cost for snow removal and roof repairs.

3 Reasons You Need to Know Your Roof Snow Load Measurement

Fresh snow is light and fluffy for the most part, containing more air than water. A few small flurries of snow don’t weigh very much or put much strain on a surface. Once snow starts to accumulate, however, that’s a different story.

As snow builds up on your roof, it gets compacted, leaving a solid mass that contains a larger amount of water and is much heavier. This could spell disaster for your building or home, as it calls into question just how much weight a roof can handle before it starts to cave. Here are three reasons why it’s important to obtain an accurate roof snow load measurement for your property:

1. It ensures the safety of all occupants/guests in the building. This also particularly important in the case of commercial properties which tend to have large roofs that hold lots of snow.

2. It prevents damage to your property from excessive snow loads. This cuts down on repair bills and the hassle of insurance claims.

3. When you know how much snow you roof can handle, you’ll have a better understanding of when you should clean it off.

To get an accurate picture of the amount of snow, you need a monitoring system like the ones provided by a company such as Safe Roof Systems.