MN Roof Snow Removal | Ice Dam & Snow Removal MN
Snow Removal is more than just another necessary household chore. If you live in Minnesota, it is a necessary evil. It happens every winter in the Midwest: Snow falls, usually leaving piles of the stuff to clear from your sidewalks, driveway and roof. It is a common wintertime problem for Minnesota residents that can cause costly damage to houses every heating season.
We all know how snow can get heavier the longer it sits. Snow melts and turns to ice. When additional snow falls it repeats the process, adding additional weight to your roof. Excess weight on your roof and can cause leaks and even cause parts of the roof to collapse. The more snow that falls on your roof, the greater the danger.
Building code addresses the amount of snow a roof should be designed to handle depending on snow fall averages. Most new homes are built to these codes, but older homes, especially those with flat roofs, may have been built under different codes and therefore present a greater risk of roof compromise.
The required roof snow loads for Minnesota can be found by using Table R301.2 (1) of the Minnesota Administrative Rules. This table says that roof snow loads equal .7 times the ground snow load. To find the ground snow load, use section 1303.1700 of the Minnesota Administrative Rules. The southern portion of Minnesota, which includes the Twin Cities metro area, uses a ground snow load of 50 pounds per square foot. For the Twin Cities metro area, the ground snow load equals 35 pounds per square foot, or .7 x 50.
So how much snow does this equal? Well… it depends. As everyone knows, cold fluffy snow is very light, while wet snow can be extremely heavy.
Ice & Snow = Extra Weight on Your Roof
Determining the weight of snow:
Fresh snow: 10-12 in. of new snow is equal to one in. of water, or about 5 lbs per square foot of roof space, so you could have up to 4 ft. of new snow before the roof will become stressed.
Packed snow: 3-5 in. of old snow is equal to one inch of water, or about 5 lbs per square foot of roof space, so anything more than 2 ft. of old snow could be too much for your roof to handle.
Total accumulated weight: two ft. of old snow and two ft. of new snow could weigh as much as 60 lbs per square foot of roof space, which is beyond the typical snow load capacity of most roofs.
If there’s ice, it’s much heavier, with one inch equaling about a foot of fresh snow.
Let the Professional MN Roof Snow Removal Experts Handle It
When snow removal is necessary, using the wrong shovel can be a big mistake. Many roofs are ruined that way. That’s why it is so important to contact a professional when the snow is accumulating on the roof.
The chances are very high that you’ll be dealing with ice dams this season (especially since it looks like 2012-13 could be a year for the Midwest to get hit by heavy snow and ice storms, which can leave large amounts of snow and ice on roofs). The perfect conditions for Minneapolis Ice Dams!
If ice dams form, get ‘em while they’re small. First, remove snow from your roof. This eliminates one of the ingredients necessary for the formation of an ice dam.
While it might be tempting to start whacking away with a hammer or chisel to break up that ice dam, don’t get too eager; not only is it dangerous on your roof, but you can also cause a lot of damage, especially in the colder months. For safe roof snow removal and ice dam removal that won’t endanger you or damage your roof, call a Minnesota ice dam removal company before they cause leaking in your home.
