TRAVERSE CITY - Since the weather is staying cold snow is accumulating not only on the ground, but also, one your roof.
“Shoveling a roof that’s kind of like shoveling your patio in a lot of cases,” says Chandler Novotny, Co-owner Northshore Exteriors.
Roof shoveling is important to prevent your roof from caving in. Although it is not likely, it’s important to be prevent it from happening.
“For, your average homeowner, there’s products out there, a roof rake,” explains Novotny, ”If you can safely, you know, reach your roof, from, from the ground and stay far enough away to avoid that snow coming down.”
A foot of snow can weigh between 2 to 12 1/2 pounds per square foot depending on how heavy the snow system is. Novotny explains how you know you need to get the snow off your roof.
“The primary thing that you’re looking for is snow load. So generally, when you get about to that 18 to 24in of snow on your roof, that’s, that’s the time that you want to get it out of the way for you.”
After a warm day with snow melting once the temperature gets lower it will refreeze. This can create ice dams that become heavy on your house. Novotny tells us about another reason ice dams may be happening.
“It’s heat loss in your home that causes that ice damming. There are variables in the weather that will cause it sometimes to, if you have those ice storms and it gets really wet. So, don’t be alarmed in that scenario. But if you do have a major ice damming issue that’s happening over time, built up in your valleys, it really will cause a lot of damage to your home. Roofs are designed to shed water. Whereas when it comes to the ice damming, it’s working its way up a lot of times. Behind your flashings. Under your shingles. And we’ve seen just a ton of it this year.”
Novotny suggests you call a professional heating and cooling company to help with that issue. He also has advice on how to alleviate the weight while you wait for a professional.
“If you’re waiting for someone to come and actually, physically take care of the issue that calcium chloride will lower the melting point of that of that ice. So, it’ll allow that to come down and you can kind of toss it up there. But just remember, it’ll be up there on top until it does come down. So you will have to get the nylon down at some point.”