Although snow is pretty to look at, it can be hazardous for your roof. Your roof is the most important part of your house, and it is also the most exposed to extreme weather conditions. Snow, rain, hail, thunderstorms, etc., can all impact your roof and lead to minor repairs or major structural defects.
In this article, we will discuss how snow impacts your roof and how you can protect it. Let’s get started!
How Snow Affects Your Roof
A healthy and newly constructed roof can handle around 4 feet of snow, but old roofs can experience stress due to the heavy snow and result in dropped ceilings, cracks, weak structural support, and much more. Let’s look at these causes in detail.
Ice Dams
Ice dams significantly impact your roof’s structural integrity. Ice dams are formed due to poor ventilation. For instance, when snow accumulates on your roof, the warm air from the attic melts the snow, and the water runs to the edge of the roof and freezes again, forming ice dams. Ice dams can cause leaks, block gutters, etc.
Blocked Gutters
As mentioned above, poor ventilation can cause ice dams, which ultimately block the gutter. Gutter blockage means that the melted water has nowhere to go, and it sweeps back into the shingles and weakens the structural integrity. The shingles can crack and drop, harming anyone passing below.
Freeze and Thaw
Another way snow impacts your roof is by freezing and thawing. As snow accumulates on your roof, it can cause cracks to appear. For example, if you already have tiny cracks on your roof, the melted snow can seep in and increase in size and become prominent.
Leaks and Collapse
Ice dams, blocked gutters, accumulation of snow on the roof — all of these have the potential to weaken the roof’s structural integrity and lead to roof collapse. You might think it is improbable, but snow can be stressful for an old, unmaintained roof, and the added weight will pull your roof down.
There are some obvious tell-tale signs that you can recognize and get professional help from Utah roofing contractors, such as drooping ceilings, cracks and leaks, and creaking sounds.
How to Protect Your Roof from Snow
There are many ways you can take care of your roof and prepare it for the winter.
- One of the significant damages to your roof is caused by ice dams. Thus, properly insulate your attic to prevent warm air from entering your attic and creating ice dams.
- Don’t let snow accumulate on your roof, and if possible, try to shovel and remove as much snow as possible.
- Get your gutters checked and cleaned.
- Install snow guards to prevent snow accumulation.
If the damage is already done and you can see apparent cracks and leaks on your roof, it’s time to call Utah roofing contractors to repair or install a new roof. We hope this article helped!
