Flat Roof Heavy Snow

There are a few common misconceptions regarding flat roofs that are stubbornly persistent.

Flat roof heavy snow.

Neither of these are accurate. In this video i dispel 5 common myths surrounding the use of flat roofs in snowy climates. Excessive rain heavy snow and built up ice all pose extra challenges for flat roofed homes. Although most flat roofs actually feature a slight pitch they still collect more rain snow and debris than traditional roofs making them a safety liability.

While not frequent per se the low slope of a flat roof does make it more prone to certain problems particularly when it interacts with the elements. As snow piles up all that weight equates to structural stress especially for buildings with flat roofs. Another is that they cannot handle as much snow weight as pitched roofs because the snow sits directly on the roof. But they also come with a reputation for leaks cracks and collapse.

If you live in the us our snow load calculator compares the total weight on your roof with the permissible load calculated according to the standards issued by the american society of civil engineers regarding the minimum design loads for buildings and other structures asce7 16. For any rafter the portion of the roof deck that transfers this load is the tributary area. That means 12 inches of snow on a flat roof creates an additional r 12 of insulation that arrives at a time of year when you most need it. This is not a job you want to do yourself especially if your home is two or more stories high.

Helmet heat is a self regulating heating system that melts the snow and ice before it can form into damaging mounds weighing down on your roof line gutters and downspouts. If your home has a roof with a substantial pitch ice dams and clogged gutters can still prevent snow from sliding off. Helmet heat is wired throughout your gutters and downspouts. One of them is that flat roofs leak more easily than pitched ones.

The r value or resistance to heat flow for snow is about r 1 per inch. The roof deck collects the snow load and transfers the weight to the rafters. And whenever it snows the flat roof supports an additional insulating blanket. It extends outward in both.

If you have noticed an unusual amount of heavy snow accumulating on your roof you should call a professional experienced roof contractor or roof snow removal contractor. Heavy loads of wet snow can eventually lead to shingle damage stress on load bearing walls and even roof collapse. Flat roofs known for being stylish modern and efficient hit a lot of items on your home bucket list.