While it may look light and fluffy from the ground, large amounts of snow on your roof can put both you and your home in danger due to excess snow loads. Roofs are often designed and engineered to hold up to extreme weights that they may never actually face during their lifetime. This is not to say that they will hold any snow load they face as these weights can become extreme during periods of excessive snowfall. The weight of snow depends on its moisture content which impacts the overall density of the precipitation. Due to this, light fluffy snow is much less of a danger to your roof than ice or heavy wet snow. That is not to say that you should not be concerned about light fluffy snow, as snow load weight is cumulative, meaning a new layer of snow can change the density and weight of your snow load very quickly. Storms can quickly add up during the snow season, becoming more and more dangerous as the season wears on. Snow removal on your roof is an important task to take up during the winter to keep you and your family safe, warm, and dry.
How Snow Type Necessitates Removal
Light fluffy snow is not an issue to your roof by itself. Your roof will not be stressed until it has reached or surpassed a substantial amount. However, it does not take much for this snow to be compacted down by a new layer which could be the straw that breaks the camels back. Ensuring that you remove snow from your roof via a roof rake is vital during this time. Roof rakes allow you to clear snow from the safety of the ground. Similarly, removing snow loads is the first step in ensuring you do not face the reality of ice dams during the winter months.
Do Not Shovel Your Roof
It goes without saying that your roof will be very slippery during the winter due to snow and ice buildup. Climbing on your roof during this time is very dangerous and not advised. This is the perfect time to use a roof rake that allows you to remove the snow from the safety of the ground. Similarly, roof rakes are designed for the task, therefore they are relatively low impact to your roofing system, keeping it protected. If you do not feel comfortable cleaning your roof with a roof rake, this is the time to call in a professional that can take on this task easily and for a relatively low cost. One thing to note, we do not recommend using a snow shovel to clean your roof. These shovels can severely damage your roofing system, which is another reason we do not advise shoveling your roof for snow removal.
Winter snow removal from your roof is highly advised from this Arlington roofing company. This may be difficult in towns that are tighter such as Somerville and Cambridge which is where we step in to help. Contact us today for more information.