Your Roof and the Weight of Michigan Winter Snow

Snow is heavy, even in its fluffiest form – a 1.75-inch layer of light snow on a roof of average sizes weighs the same as an SUV parked on the roof and wet snow weighs even more. The cold winters in Michigan make snow an issue that local building owners need to be thoroughly prepared for – some regions of the state get as much as 160 inches of per year, but even less snowy areas require property owners should have a scheduled Lansing roofing company pay special attention to their roofing in winter. Here are some things that you need to know about tackling the problem of snow in Michigan and about preserving it in good condition throughout the winter:

• The importance of roof raking – roof rakes are special rakes on long sticks that can be efficiently used for removing excess snow from your roof. Go outside after each snowing, look up at the roof and use your rake whenever you see that the snow blanket has become thick;
• The importance of insulation – the weight of the snow on your roof can be aggravated by the appearance of icicles at the edge of the roof, structures of frozen water that are even heavier than snow. Ice dams appear when the warm air that escapes from inside the home melts the layer of snow that is in direct contact with the roof surface. The melted water runs down on the roof slope and freezes by the time it gets to the roof edge. You should carefully remove very thick icicles, but the best solution is to prevent the escape of warm air through proper insulation added in your attic area.

Originally Posted over here: Your Roof and the Weight of Michigan Winter Snow