How Can Snow Affect My Roof

During the wintertime, especially in New England, we have a lot of snow. But what are the effects of it and how do we deal with it? Well, one of the worst effects is ice dams, which are created a bit after the snow has accumulated on the roof. Let’s talk a bit more about ice dams.

Ice dams are dangerous large chunks of ice that form near the edges of your roof during the wintertime. Beginning as a large layer of snow, the snow that is closest to the roof can begin to melt and pool underneath the snow layer. This typically occurs due to poor insulation in the home, where the heat inside heats the roof and ultimately makes the snow melt. Once the pools are on the roof, they run down the slope of the roof and reach an exit into the cold air. Once this water hits the cold air, it refreezes, forming the said mound of ice, located about where the gutter is.

This damage can reach many parts of the home, and not just the exterior. They have been known to cause stained and moisture filled ceilings and can be a leading cause of paint peeling, as well as structural rot to the structure of your home, making it a dangerous place to live. This is only the interior issues. Moving outside, we find the fact that an ice dam falling could not only damage your gutters and downspouts, but can fall and cause harm to anything in its way, including, but not limited to, people, pets, and your landscaping.

With this all being said, your roof can typically only take about 20 lbs. of snow per square foot, and while this rarely would happen in this area, over time this snow can stress and weaken your roof. Let’s take a look at one of the ways to remove snow.

Snow can be relatively easy to get rid of, however, you must be very careful. It is not, by any means, recommended to climb up on a ladder and try to remove this snow that way, as the snow can come down, knocking you off the ladder, and potentially causing a lot of harm. Calling a professional if this is your only option is a necessity and should be taken seriously. With this all being said, snow removal can be easy if you have a snow rake, where you can reach the roof from the ground.

If you are interested in determining if you need a new roof, feel free to contact us or call us directly at (781) 246-5622.