Snow and Roofing

Snow on roofs has been a problem here in the high Sierras for as long as their have been houses. The snow really presents two problems: The first problem is that snow is heavy. Left alone, snow can build up and actually crush a house. Here, we have steep roofs designed to shed snow. Our houses are also designed to support high snow loads. Winters that bring heavy snows support an industry that goes up onto the roofs to saw the snow into large blocks and push it off the roofs.

The second problem heat from the house. The heat rises and melts the snow touching the roof. The water starts to run off the roof, and when it reaches the eaves, it turns back to ice. The ice builds up creating a dam. This forms a lake on the roof. The water eventually finds a way in. Many houses here have electric heat strips on the eaves to prevent ice dams from forming. You can use an ice saw or other tool to cut notches in the ice dam so the water can drain. These notches freeze closed and have to be cut again as long as the ice dams are forming.

We've sold an equipment broom to be mounted on a excavator bucket to sweep the snow off of the roof.