ROOFING IN THE MOUNTAINS
POSTED ON APRIL 11, 2012
Roof designs for buildings in the mountains of Colorado should not be the same as those in southern California. Roofs in cold, snowy climates require special considerations to function well. Ignoring these differences can lead to impractical, problematic roofs that require excessive maintenance.
Maintenance and repair work often consists of:
shoveling snow and ice off roofs to slow leaks and then shoveling it off driveways and other access ways below;
repairing roof damage;
repairing eaves damaged by ice;
repairing roof damage caused by shoveling;
repairing interior damage caused by roof leaks;
installing electrical heat tape in attempts to “fix” design problems.
In cold snowy regions, people are kept busy repairing inadequately designed roof systems.
Ice Damming
Ice damming is the accumulation of snow and ice at the down-slope eaves that backs up water on the roof. Most steep roofs are designed to shed water, and they are not covered with waterproof membranes. When water backs up on these roofs, the roofs leak unless special precautions are taken.
Ice weighs approximately 57 pounds per cubic foot. The unit weight of snow on a roof can be close to that of ice or as low as 4 pounds per cubic foot.
