When the colder seasons are upon us, we at Doug Brue Construction get a lot of calls from first-time homeowners and those who are new to snow country life. They ask when it is best to remove snow from their roof. You also have to decide how to remove the snow. Most importantly, you need to provide the necessary conditions in advance of the snow season so that storms dont damage your roof in the first place.
Deciding Whether to Remove Snow From Your Roof
There are many factors to consider when deciding whether the last snowstorm warrants snow removal. The condition of the roof is one key factor. You also have to consider if the snow is light and fluffy or wet and dense. A good rule of thumb for a roof in good shape is that it is best to remove a foot or more of heavy, wet snow.
Ice dams are another potential problem to look out for. An ice dam can form when warmer air from your attic and sunlight during the day melt the snow. At night, the temperature drops, and the water freezes. Over several days, this process can result in ice buildup.
If you have an ice dam form on your roof, it can cause shingles to heave up and melted snow to pond on your roof. If runoff cannot move down the roof, it will move back upwards. Roofs are designed to allow water to flow downwards. Water can move under the shingles and enter your home when it moves back up your roof. Unfortunately, this will cause costly water damage and likely mold. You can tell from the ground that you have an ice dam by the long icicles hanging from your roof all in a line. You will see the ice dam just above those icicles.
In any event, a foot or more of wet, heavy snow or an ice dam will need to be removed from your roof. While some will opt for snow rakes or shoveling snow off of their flat roof, we advocate that homeowners leave roof snow and ice dam removal to professionals. Potential dangers to homeowners removing snow off of their roofs include:
- Dangerous falls from the roof or an icy ladder
- Electrocution on live wires
- Being hit by falling snow and ice
- Damaging the roofing shingles or roof vents
How To Ensure Your Roof Is Ready for Winter
They say that the best offense is defense. That is truly the case when it comes to winter snow. If your roof is already weak as the fall season begins, you are in danger of costly repairs. Some people wait and hope to get through winter, but that is like playing Russian Roulette. Roofing repairs often arent as costly as you may think if you choose the right contractor for the job. You can count on the fact that todays roof repair is much less expensive than a storm damage repair caused by an already weakened roof.
Also, ice dams can be averted by simple solutions such as adding more attic or rafter insulation or even a metal plate at the eave that can better channel the runoff. Other solutions for roofs that tend to produce ice dams include:
- Equalizing attic air temperature with ridge vents
- Insulating the attic hatch
- Moving exhaust vents that go through the roof soffit
- Sealing and insulating all roof penetrations
- Adding and sealing steel flashing around the chimney
We are happy to inspect your roof and attic and find the best solution to solve recurrent ice dam formation. This will save you money each winter because you wont have to keep paying for ice dam removal throughout the season. It will also help you protect your roof from the damage caused by ice buildup. We can also inspect your roof to ensure it is sound and ready for winter storms.
Call the Professionals for All Your Roofing Needs
Here at Doug Brue Construction, we have been your go-to roofing professionals in the Minnesota Twin Cities area for the last 40 years. We maintain a BBB A+ rating because of highly satisfied customers. We perform both general contracting and specialized contracting services. Just a sample of our services includes the latest metal roofing styles, gutters, storm damage repair, and custom roof designs. We pride ourselves in providing value to our customers and trustworthy, professional services. Call us today to schedule an appointment for a roofing inspection with one of our professional roofers.
