Malarkey Helps Property Owners Understand Dangers of Snow and Ice on Roof

Be prepared for winter's toll on the roof by understanding these winter roof risks.

By Malarkey Roofing Products

Winter brings with it temperature extremes along with snow, ice and winds that can create problems for a home’s roof. Malarkey Roofing Products recently posted a blog that can help home and property owners fully understand the impact that wintry weather can have on their roof. Those impacts include:

Ice dams An ice dam is a layer of ice that forms at the edge of a roof when heat from an attic can cause snow on the roof to melt. When the melted snow reaches the cold overhang at the eave and re-freezes, an ice dam is formed. Large, prevalent icicles can be one indicator that an ice dam has formed. The key concern with ice dams is that water from melting snow can back up behind the dam and fi­nd its way under shingles, then leak into your home. Proper ventilation and attic insulation can prevent ice damming.

Roof Avalanches In high snowfall areas, some steep sloped roofs could experience avalanches, where snow packed onto a roof releases all at once. The weight and sudden release can be very dangerous to ground areas directly below the eaves. Consider cordoning off the area to prevent injury.

Extreme weight There are some instances where the snow load on the roof becomes so heavy that roof collapse becomes a concern. Refer to The International Business for Home and Safety’s guidelines to determine when the weight on the roof is in the danger zone. Should you need to remove snow to prevent potential collapse it’s important to call a professional roofing contractor to safely remove the load.

Visit Malarkey Roofing Products Know Your Roof™ blog to learn more about their solutions and get the latest information and tips for a top-performing roof.

Save