Are You Removing Snow from Roofs this Winter?

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

Much of the U.S. has experienced heavy amounts of snowfall this winter, after an unusually rainy summer and fall.

Roofs are taking a beating and working hard to protect the homes and buildings they cover. Every winter, there are stories or roofs collapsing because of the weight of the snow. Winter Storms are creating chaos at airports, neighborhoods and on many roofs, leading to extreme roof failures.  The question is: what can you do now to help protect your customers during major snow events?

With roofs collapsing throughout the country, contractors need to help educate homeowners, facility managers and building owners so they are ready to deal with snow removal. Your company needs to have the ability to provide rapid-response snow removal along with education on what to do before and after storms, in order to protect their buildings. 

First, it is important to understand how much extra weight can accumulate on your roof, from snowfall.  One cubic foot of light, dry snow weighs about 3 pounds, while one cubic foot of heavy, wet snow can weight up to about 21 pounds.  That is a tremendous difference.

Here’s an example of the weight that can accumulate on the roof in just a 10' x 10' space:

• 1 foot of snow would weigh 300 pounds!
• 3 feet of snow would weigh 900 pounds!
• 4 feet of snow would weigh 1,200 pounds!
• 6 feet of snow would weigh 1,800 pounds! 

This is such a risk that the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) published a Snow Load Safety Guide to help homeowners, building owners and contractors understand how to safely deal with snow and understand the different scenarios that can cause stress to the roof.

There are more types of snow than you might even be aware of because its affected by any number of atmospheric and geographic conditions. This can result in a range of snow densities, meaning one foot of snow in Vermont is not going to have the same weight as one foot of snow in Utah. According to FEMA, one foot of fresh snow can range in weight from 3 pounds per square foot to as much as 21 pounds per square foot if the snow is wet and heavy.

Roofing contractors have a great opportunity to offer snow removal as part of their service and maintenance program.  It is another way to take care of customers through a yearly maintenance program that helps customers feel safe in the knowledge that their roofing contractor is there for them.  Look at providing your customers with a comprehensive plan that will help protect their buildings year-round. The service should include 24/7 customer service with crews on stand-by to deal with winter storms.  It is also important to show that your company will document the snow removal and offer post-storm evaluation of the roof to insure there was no damage.

Have you had customers contact you about removing snow from their roofs? Have you had any roof collapses due to snow? What are your tips for safely removing snow from the rooftop? Do you have snow removal as part of your service and maintenance program?  Visit us on the RCS Forum and let us know!