How To See If Your Roof Is Collaping From Snow

Protect your roof to avoid snow roof collapse.

How to see if your roof is collaping from snow.

If sprinkler heads are protruding through ceiling then you may be at risk of a roof collapse. Extreme weather conditions are the most common cause of roof collapses. It is therefore very crucial for homeowners to identify and act on signs that a roof is in danger of collapse. 10 12 inches of new snow equates to 5 lb per square foot of roof space.

Once the excess snow has been removed from your roof and weather conditions permit you should inspect your gutters and roof shingles to see if repairs are needed. Your roof can tolerate much less accumulation of wet snow. Leave a couple of inches of snow on the roof so you do not risk damaging the roof with the rake. The roof collapsed from a snow load of 17 inches that fell in the area on december 12 2010.

It is imperative to inspect your roof deck regularly and respond accordingly to any structural damage that might cause roof failure. Keep your home s attic adequately ventilated to help reduce ice dam formation. Common signs of potential roof collapse from snow include. Arguably the most famous roof collapse from snow of recent times was the minneapolis metrodome home to football s minnesota vikings and baseball s minnesota twins.

To understand just how much stress snow can put on your roof check out the following ibhs snow roof guidelines. If you need to wait for a roofer use a telescoping snow rake to remove what snow you can during heavy snowfall. Sprinkler heads are hung from the roof of most commercial buildings and as a result would be sagging if the snow load is beginning to put pressure on the roof.