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Roads can be gritted and people can put on sensible shoes, but what happens to your roof when hit by snow?
A couple of centimetres of snow may not seem much, especially when it melts after a day or two, but it can cause major damage to a vulnerable roof.
To help avoid this, let us explain how snow can damage a roof and what you can do to protect it.
Can Snow Damage a Roof?
Yes, even if it isn’t a large amount.
There are a number of ways snow can cause harm to a flat roof, tiled roof, or a mix of both at your home or building.
The most common issues are leaks.
As you can imagine, melting snow creates a lot of water directly on top of your roof.
If there are any gaps between your tiles, cracks in the tiles themselves, or damage to flashing and the roof lining, water can start to seep into your home.
When you find a leak or damp patch, it’s often at the top of your walls, as this is where they meet your roof.
As solid as the structure may be, this is the weakest point.
While your roof tiles and roof lining are designed to be waterproof, the inside of your roof is not.
So if leaks are happening, damage will be done, and quickly.
During winter you should check your attics to see if there are any leaks, as this is the area they’ll affect first.
How Snow Damages a Roof
As well as leaks, melting snow can also create ice dams.
One of the most important things about your roof is its slope.
Even on a flat roof, there is a slight camber that ensures that rainfall makes its way towards your gutters, and isn’t creating pools of standing water.
An ice dam is formed when the bottom of the snow melts (because of the heat rising through your home) and the top layer slides towards your gutters.
If it is still solid enough, it will get stuck there and refreeze. That means that any runoff can no longer reach your guttering, and will be held in place, where it can cause further leaks.
There’s also the weight of the snow to consider.
A cubic metre of fresh snow can weigh up to 50kg, while wet, compacted snow can weigh 500kg or more! This is a lot of extra weight on your roof, weight it isn’t designed to withstand for even a short period of time.
If you leave a thick layer of snow on your roof, it can cause structural damage. Although a tricky job, it’s vital that you clear snow from your roof as often as possible to prevent this and the other issues we’ve talked about.
But we understand that this isn’t always possible, and constant snowfall can make this a losing battle.
To give you peace of mind, there are a few things you can do to protect your roof, before the next few flakes start to fall.
How to Protect your Roof from Snow
As we mentioned, snowmelt can exploit any weak points in your roof.
Over time, gaps can form between your tiles as a result of bad weather, moss growth, or it being a long time since they were fitted.
Your tiles themselves can also be damaged, or might’ve been moved slightly to create a bigger gap.
On flat roofs, the lining is a more solid layer of protection, but holes around the edges, or parts damaged by standing water, should never be ignored.
To prevent any issues, it’s important that you identify these weak points and address them ASAP.
But if you’re no roofing expert, or your tiles and lining are coated with dirt, grime, moss, and more, it will be nearly impossible to see them.
Our roof cleaning service will get rid of any of this detritus, making your tiles look better than new in no time.
While we’re up there, we’ll take note of any damaged tiles, flashing, or anything else you should know about, so you can arrange the necessary repairs straight away.
Issues like leaks and structural damage can be very expensive to fix, so preventing them with some new tiles or flashing is a no-brainer.
But we can do much more than just point out a few cracked tiles!
How our Thermal Roof Coating Protects your Roof from Snow
Our thermal roof coating is a fantastic alternative to a brand-new roof.
Instead of splashing out on a full set of tiles or a new lining, our advanced compound will make any tired roof look brand new again.
You’ll be the envy of your neighbours, without a large dent in your savings.
But the benefits aren’t just cosmetic.
Our thermal roof coating can even save you on your energy bills, as it prevents heat from escaping through your roof – perfect for those chilly winter evenings!
This will also help to prevent ice dams, so you won’t have to worry about the damage the melting snow will cause as soon as you see fresh flakes on the window.
Before we start applying the coating, we’ll give your roof a thorough clean to make sure it sticks, and no imperfections show through.
If we find any damage, we’ll replace your tiles, fix your flashing, and address anything else that could prevent the coating from doing its thing.
Our roof treatment works on any variety of roof, is available in multiple colours, and is the best way to improve how it looks and add extra protection from the elements.
If you have any questions about us or our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!
