Roofing collapse situations aren’t too commonly heard of, but they are a real risk for Minnesotan residents. Did you know that if the weight of snow and ice on your roof is too heavy, it can cause your roof to collapse? Well, it’s true. In many parts of the country this isn’t a worry due to there being no snow or just a light amount of snow. Since Minnesota experiences winter at its finest, you have the opportunity of seeing pile upon pile of snow and ice buildup. In order to be a well-informed homeowner from the Midwest, it’s best to know what to do in order to prevent roof stress and a worst case scenario—collapsing during the snowy, winter season.
- Roofing Ventilation and Insulation
The prevention of ice dam buildup on the roof all has to do with the ventilation and insulation of the attic of the home. The idea is to keep the roof and the roof eaves temperature the same during the cold months. This is to prevent condensation and water sticking to the roof, which causes the ice dams in the first place.
To do this you need to add insulation to the attic and increase the ventilation in the eaves and ridge. You want to have steady airflow through the soffit vents, which will help to regulate the temperature.
- Knocking Down Icicles
Solid water is quite heavy and your roof can become stressed by large icicles hanging off the side of the house. By carefully removing these icicles you will help remove stress from the roof. This can be dangerous, so never do it alone or better yet, call an ice removal company to do it for you. Icicles are heavy, hard, and sharp as a knife.
- Rake your Roof
Raking isn’t just for the fall and spring cleaning of your yard. A snow rake is used to help scrape off snow from a roof. This is done by standing on the ground and starting to scrap at the edge of the roof. You don’t want to add your weight to the roof since it’s already weighed down with the snow. Take off a few inches, but don’t scrape your roof clean. That would cause damage to your shingles. You roof should be strong enough to handle a few inches of snow, just not heaps of it. So start raking from the edge and work your way as far as you can reach with the snow rake.
Winter in Minnesota can be surprisingly mildly snowy, or it can dump feet of snow throughout the season. Even if you don’t have to use these tips this year to prevent stress on your roof and a collapse due to heavy snow and ice, you will be happy to know what to do for future winter seasons.
