Here is an article written by Keith Paul, founder of HandyPro Handyman
Service:
With snow piling up on my roof
I am afraid it might do damage or worse yet cave in. What can I do?
This week, I have talked to many people with this same concern. The fact is, snow along with ice could cause roof damage. The threat of collapse is a very low probability, but possible. As I stated in my Feb. 10, 2010 article “Preventing ice dams,” sometimes snow can weigh up to 30 pounds per square foot. On a 1500-square-foot house with a roof surface area of 1600 square feet, that’s 48,000 pounds or more on your roof! Some roofs aren’t built to withstand that amount of weight. The weight of a large amount of snow and ice can also cause damage to your gutters and downspouts.
The damage mostly
occurs when the snow melts and refreezes underneath the snow where it meets the
shingles. Snow melts because of the heat from the attic, then drains to the
gutters and refreezes. Now, the water and ice accumulates and works back up the
roof growing underneath the shingles causing damage, and in many cases melts
into the house.
Using a roof rake
will help you alleviate some of the stress on both you and your roof. A roof
rake is a solid piece of metal or plastic about 16 to 20 inches wide on the end
of an extension pole, which allows you to rake or pull snow off the roof. They
can be purchased at most local hardware stores. Remove as much snow as possible
from the top of the roof down toward the gutters. About 10 to 15 feet should be
sufficient. Never remove the snow while on top of the roof. For obvious
reasons, it is a slippery slope and snow isn’t as soft as you think to land in.
Apply calcium
chloride to all ice in gutters and down spouts. Do not use sodium chloride
(rock salt) or table salt, it can cause damage to your landscape greenery. I’ve
seen homeowners insert calcium chloride into panty hose and lay them inside the
gutters, it was successful to remove the ice. To apply, I recommend tossing it up
into the gutters. It sounds funny, but it really is the best way.
There is controversy
over whether or not to use a ladder when removing the snow. I believe it is
much safer not to use a ladder because when the ice and snow melts, it can
accumulate on the rungs of the ladder and refreeze in minutes. This is
definitely a slippery and hazardous situation. You can easily fall and get
seriously hurt.
Lastly, if your home
continually has a problem with ice damming, have a professional check your home
for proper roof ventilation and insulation. You may consider having heat tape
installed in those problem areas along your roof then you’d be able to melt the
ice with a flick of a switch. Heat tape is a low temp electrical cord that is
normally placed along the perimeter of the roof, in the roof valleys and in the
gutters and downspouts to keep the water moving during the frigid winter
months. It should be installed by a professional.
Keith Paul is a State of Michigan
Licensed Builder and president and founding member of
Nationally franchised HandyPro Handyman Service. The growing company has over a dozen
independently owned location in the US.
HandyPro
Handyman Services performs work in over 1600 categories including Home
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What’s on your to-do list? HandyPro Handyman Services offers affordable
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Hiring a Handyman,
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