Winter has come and it’s brought all of the snow and ice with none of the fire and heat. You may be bundled up in your home admiring how pretty the snowflakes look falling from the sky. But if you’re a homeowner, you might also be thinking about the potential risks snow and ice can have on your home. At Roof Right, a residential roofing company in Maryland, we provide service for all types of residential and commercial roofing repairs. Let’s take a look at what snow damage can do to your roof and what you can do to stop it at its tracks.
Snow can overload your roof
Snow can get heavy as it builds up. It only takes about 4 feet of snow (or 2 feet if it’s old and compressed) to generate enough weight to cause stress to the roof and could cause it to collapse. Although some roofs are better equipped than others in handling heavy amounts of snow, it’s something to consider in today’s climate. Unpredictable weather is becoming more prevalent over the years, so it’s good to be prepared for what is to come. If you’re not sure if your roof can withstand that much snow, we recommend that you get your roof inspected and have a contractor make any necessary repairs when needed.
Ice and freezing water can damage your home
Freezing temperatures are a common thing to be cautious about during winter. Icy roads and frosted car windows are never a fun thing to deal with and the same annoyances can be said to your home. If you ever notice icicles hanging from your home, as pretty as they may be, you should probably take a look at your gutter. Icicles mean that there is a buildup of ice in your gutters that could lead to what is called an ice dam. An ice dam is concerning for a few reasons. First, water can overflow from your gutter and damage it (while also creating icicles). Second, when water expands when it freezes, so when there’s ice on your roof and gutter, it could open up cracks in the roof and pry off the gutter. Lastly, if the ice in the gutter expands, it could burst the gutter pipes. There are a couple techniques you can try to resolve this issue. The first one would be to manually remove the ice using a roof rake. The second method would be to fill the pantyhose with deicer and have it melt the ice. The last method would be to simply change the temperature of your roof. There are various methods of approaching this such as using heated cables or insulating your attic. It’ll be a good idea to contact a home contractor to discuss what works best for your home.
Melted ice and snow can cause floods
Let’s say that you just got about 4 feet of snow and on the next day, it becomes warm enough for it to all melted away. Normally, you would be happy about this because all of the roads will be cleared away and you don’t have to worry about the hassle of shoveling snow. Although this may all be true, there is one small detail you need to think about. Snow when melted turns into water, a lot of water. You’ll start to notice small floods happening around the area because of the melting snow. This is basically the same case for your roof. Melting snow and slush can leak through tiny cracks and damage your home. If you live in an area where heavy snow is common, the repeated cycle of melting and freezing can create cracks in your foundation and damage the walls of your home. Worst case scenario, your basement gets flooded with snow water. Luckily, there is an easy solution to this. We suggest that you seal up any cracks on the roof and foundation to reduce the chance of flooding. You could also adjust the gutter to be angled towards the street drains or at the very least away from your foundation.
Ready to learn more about your roofing Options? Contact Roof Right
We are sensitive to the fear many homeowners may have when selecting a roofing contractor and understand that trust is something that has to be earned. We work hard to earn the confidence of each and every customer every day. Our company is dedicated to homeowners and their service needs, and we offer one of the best warranties in the industry.
Call us today at 410-374-5923 or email us at info@roofright.com