Under the Weight of All That Snow
Short Answer: While the beams, shingles and flat surfaces of your home’s roof are all designed to carry extra weight to support things like maintenance personnel and excess snow, a roof with weaker structural components or too much snow may cause the roof to fail in certain places or collapse, potentially causing thousands of dollars in damages.
Image 1: A home holding up the snow during the winter
While roofs collapsing in the winter due to snow is not something most of us need to worry about, it’s still something that should be discussed. Many of us see new homes constructed to hold a considerable amount of weight. Are these same roofs, however, able to hold snow during the winter without collapsing?
According to Melo Roofing Inc, they are! An average roof on a home can support 20 to 30 pounds of snow per square foot, but depending on where you live, your home’s roof can possibly support more snow. Sometimes these efforts are not enough as witnessed by those who live in Juneau, Alaska. Many have experienced the roofs on many businesses and homes collapse due to the sheer amount of snow which has fallen. While an anomaly for sure, professional home developers and professional structural engineers alike do their best to ensure that homes and business offices are able to withstand the weight of the snow in most conditions.
Image 2: A roof supporting a substantial amount of snow
One way professional structural engineers can determine how much snow a roof can support is by using the factor of safety (F.S.) formula. Here is how it works:
F.S. = 𝜇_ult/𝜇_allow
F.S.: Factor of Safety
𝜇_ult: Ultimate Strength (lbs or N)
𝜇_allow: Allowable Strength (lbs or N)
Professional structural engineers ensure that the roof’s F.S. is as high as possible without using methods that may significantly increase construction costs. Professional structural engineers must make sure the F.S. value along with other load calculation standards for the building is set forth by local and national building codes.
Image 3: Adequate structural support and proper material selection is what is allowing this roof to hold a considerable amount of snow
The best way to ensure your home’s roof can support the winter snow is by having either a professional structural engineer or a home inspector look at the trusses and beams supporting your roof to see if there are any weaknesses. That way, you and your family can stay safe and warm during the winter.
Bottom Line: Making sure the structural components supporting your roof have no weaknesses and are up to local and national codes gives your home the best chance of making it through heavy winter storms.
Image 4: A well-made home handling the snow with ease
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