3 Things To Look For In Snow-Safe Residential Roofing

Blog

Winter is here, and for many parts of the country, that means snow — and lots of it. If you live in an area that is likely to see a lot of snowfall this winter, your home must be fitted with a roof that can shrug off the heaviest snowfall without leaking or collapsing.

If your home needs new roofing, or you don't think your existing roofing will stand up to heavy snowfall, look for replacement roofing with the following snow-safe properties:

Smooth, Low Friction Surfaces

Large amounts of snow accumulating on your roof can be incredibly dangerous. Snow is surprisingly heavy, especially tightly packed snow that accumulates over a long period of time. If too much snow accumulates on your roof, the added weight can cause a potentially deadly roof collapse that will cost thousands of dollars to repair.

A strong, load-bearing roof with reinforced trusses and timbers will help to prevent winter roof collapses, but you should also make sure that your roof can shed snow quickly before it can accumulate to dangerous levels. A snow-safe roof should have a smooth, low-friction surface that allows snow to slide off. This is especially important if your home has a shallow, low-slope roof.

Metal roofing is an excellent choice. Its smooth surface creates very little friction and will allow snow to slide off your roof and to the ground before any significant accumulation occurs. Standing seam metal roofing is especially useful. Its surface is almost completely seamless, so snow cannot collect in gaps or spaces between individual roofing panels.

Varnished clay tiles also have relatively smooth surfaces, as do certain types of composite synthetic shingles. If you do choose tiles or shingles for your snow-safe roof, opt for flat tiles instead of rounded 'barrel' tiles, as snow can accumulate in the gaps between barrel tiles.

Reliable Waterproofing

Even if you do choose a smooth roof that sheds snow easily, it will probably accumulate a small amount of snow during significant snowfalls. When temperatures rise and this snow starts to melt, the resulting meltwater can leak through your roof and into your home. Because meltwater moves more slowly than falling rainwater, it can seep through tiny gaps and cracks in your roof's waterproofing over time.

To prevent meltwater leaks, your snow-safe roof must have an effective, properly installed waterproof underlayment. Because these underlayments are not visible once the roof is finished, many disreputable roofing companies save money by installing inferior underlayments. For this reason, you should have your roof installed by a high-quality residential roofing company. 

Edge-To-Edge Insulation

A snow-safe roof must also be properly and thoroughly insulated, and not just to keep your home warm during snowy weather. If your roof is unevenly insulated, poorly insulated sections of your roof will be warmer than the well-insulated sections, causing snow to melt at uneven rates. This can create rigid ice dams, which can prevent your roof from shedding snow and increase the risk of collapse.

Choosing a type of roofing with integrated insulation will make it easier to insulate your roof thoroughly and evenly. Many modern roofing products contain insulated cores or are pre-fitted with insulated backing panels. Integrated roofing insulation will reduce your reliance on attic insulation, and is more effective at insulating areas around the edges of your roof.

To learn more, contact a roofing company in your area.

Share  

12 December 2022

Creating Great Roofing From the Start

When you want to make your home shine, there are some very important basic components you should be mindful of. For starters, you should evaluate the exterior of your home to determine whether or not the siding or exterior cladding needs to be replaced. Next, you should check to see if the roofing needs to be replaced, since it really can make a powerful difference. Roofing can take up a great deal of the visual space from the outside, so think carefully about how yours looks. Pay attention to issues like aged, curling shingles or roofing that contains dips or divots. Check out this blog for great tips about roofing.