Keep a clean roof to prevent water damage in your Nashville home this winter

2/26/2015 (Permalink)

Using a roof rake to clear the snow off of the roof

This winter feels like its never-ending; with our continuous snowfall and days below 0 degrees, spring is feeling further away. The snow has been piling up since the beginning of winter with barely any breaks causing the snow to accumulate. Don’t let the snowfall weigh heavy on your home and shoulders this winter. Make sure to keep the heavy snow off of your roof and out of your home to prevent the unwelcome water damage that it brings.

Your roof may be giving you warning signs that it’s not holding up with the weight of the snow. According to NBC News reports, two feet of snow accumulated on the average sized roof can weigh up to 38,000 pounds, or 19 tons. That’s about the equivalent of 4-5 cars parked on top of your roof. The most obvious sign is the caving or sagging of a roof. This shows right away that there is too much weight sitting in one area. As the mass amount of snow sits and starts to melt, it flows in every direction to make its way off of the roof. This causes water to seep into the home causing water damage to the roof, insulation, attic, gutters and interior of the home.

Removing the snow multiple times throughout winter helps to keep it from piling on so high and heavy. There are different ways to remove the snow safely from your roof, such as roof rakes or even professional help. The roof rakes extend long enough to usually remove the snow while standing from the ground to ensure that no one is climbing up that high off the ground in the middle of winter. If you don’t have access to a roof rake, you’re next best option is to hire a professional. Although this may be costly in the beginning, it will save you a lot more money in the long run from water damage that may occur to your roof and home. It also is a lot safer than climbing up on an icy roof on your own.

Source - http://www.homesessive.com/read/prevent-roof-collapse-remove-ice-and-snow