How the Weight of Snow on a Roof Damages Homes

During the winter months, homeowners in Orting can expect a fall in the temperature outside and, occasionally, falling snow. This combination of freezing conditions, and the weight of the snow on your roof, can have catastrophic consequences for your property.

Luckily, you can avoid costly roof repairs when you know how this snow build-up can impact your home, and what you do to prevent the worst damage.

Strong, well-built roofs can manage around 20 pounds of weight per square foot of snow. However, older, or damaged roofs will be less resilient and might buckle under the pressure. Even a more robust roof will struggle to cope with the effect of ice dams.

Ice dams occur when the snow or ice starts to melt as temperatures rise during the day, then freeze again at night. This fluctuation causes these dams to form at the edge of the roof, which leads to further accumulation of roof snow. This is a particular problem if you have clogged gutters full of leaves and debris, or your attic is poorly insulated. Furthermore, as the ice dams expand and contract with the changing temperatures, they can force gutters to break away, necessitating extensive roof repairs.