An ice dam is a ridge of ice near the roof s edge that prevents melting snow from draining into gutters.
Should i remove the snow off my roof.
Removing snow from your roof after every 6 inches of snow is a good standard to follow.
Doing that may damage your roof in other ways.
What to consider when removing snow.
If removing all the snow and ice is simply cost prohibitive then at the very least have all the ice removed and your overhangs and or valleys cleared of snow.
When they are finished you will have a roof free of snow but not completely dry.
If your roof is prone to ice dams pros recommend removing snow at least from the roof s overhang when 6 inches or more accumulates to avert one.
Raking your roof causes damage to shingles so you don t want to do so unnecessarily.
As a rule of thumb one square foot of snow that s one inch in depth weighs about a pound.
Now it doesn t much matter how much snow is on your roof.
Snowstorms in the southeast are more unusual but tend to be wetter.
You ll also want to remove the snow if you have a flat roof on your home or porch.
You should remove the snow off your roof if there has been snowfall of 6 inches or more if you ve had a history of ice on your roof.
Removing it could cause extensive damage that would require costly repair.
Excess snow on the roof can weaken and potentially collapse a structure particularly an older building with a shallow.
You ll want to call someone to remove all the snow and ice or there s a good chance the ice dam will cause a leak in your home.
By removing this snow you are going to minimize risk of damage from ice building up called ice dams.
However local snow removal companies may suggest sticking to the 6 depth to help prevent ice dams.
Should you remove the snow off your roof.
Should i rake snow off my roof.
The only time it may be safe for a homeowner to remove snow from the roof in the winter is if the home is one story and the snow can be removed by working from the ground with a snow rake.
If your roof has 12 inches of snow on it that could easily amount to thousands of pounds of stress on your roof.
This will prevent a roof collapse.
Another reason roof snow removal is so important is that it s a good idea to keep all that excess weight off your roof.
Impact of old snow.
This condition can introduce.
If you have not had a history with ice you can wait until you have a foot of snow to get it removed.
They are there to relieve the pressure on your roof not to completely de ice it.
Typical roofs can withstand up to.
Deep snow on a roof can bury a gas appliance flue causing the exhaust to enter the home.
You need to get it off or your ice dam will continue to grow larger and become a greater hazard.