How Much Snow Is Too Much On My Roof

This is beyond the maximum recommended snowfall on a roof.

How much snow is too much on my roof.

When the snow gets really deep it s not unusual to see whole families up on the roof with snow shovels. These questions aren t quite so easy to answer because there are several variables. So how much snow does this equal. When this water freezes at the edge of your roof it forms an ice dam and allows water to back up and enter the building under the shingles and wood decking.

A final point to remember. Wet snow weighs considerably more than dry or fluffy snow because as you can probably guess water weighs more than air. The easiest way to determine whether the snow on your roof is dry or wet is to examine a couple of full shovels of snow from the ground level. Last winter we had snow on the ground that was up to our hips.

Watch for ice build up on the edge and valleys of your roof. Weight of the snow not how much is what matters. But if you re really worried you might have too much snow on your roof here s how to figure out if your roof is at risk and how to remove that risk. At least 2 inches of snow should remain on your roof.

A depth of 60 cm 24 in of built up snow or 60 cm 24 in of fresh snow can weigh as much as 27 kg 60 pounds per square foot of roof space. How much snow is too much for a roof to handle. As everyone knows cold fluffy snow is very light while wet snow can be extremely heavy. The drifts on the roof were 5 feet deep.

The chart below courtesy of paul schimnowski p e gives some examples of snow loads. How much snow a roof can hold depends on the type of snow roofline and material among other considerations. When heat escapes through your attic it melts the snow. You have probably heard of or seen the difference between wet snow and fluffy snow.

One of the major determining factors for how much snow is too much for your roof is how heavy the snow fall is. The critical factor in determining excessive snow loads on your roof isn t the depth of the snow it s the weight. It s not going to cave in from snow. If you see clumps or chunky pieces on the head of your shovel the snow contains a relatively high level of moisture.

For the twin cities metro area the roof snow load equals 35 pounds per square foot or 7 x 50. How to protect your roof. Granulated snow on the other hand will be much lighter and won t stick together. By the time i ve worked my way around the building hip deep in snow my shoulders are burning with the effort.