Source: Flickr

My neighbor was looking at the 5 feet of snow and ice standing atop her home with a detached yet anxious look on her face.

Her side of duplex had fallen prey to heavy snow accumulations, much of which was frozen at the bottom. As her residence had only been built a few years ago, she thought that the structure would easily take this additional load. As my background in gutters is not that far removed from my experience in roofing structures, I told her that I would look into it. Basically, any child walking by was at risk of getting hit by this oversized chunk of snow. Consequently, I was anxious to find an argument that would get her moving.

Look at the signs

If you are woken up at night by noises and crackles coming from your roof, it is high time that  you begin your investigation. Living right next to her, I often found myself listening to the crackling sounds of the trusses in my home as I lay in bed. I could not even imagine what it was like on her side of the property. If you feel as if you are living in a 50-year-old log cabin far away in the forest, you should be looking for additional clues.

Are there any unusual cracks in the walls of your residence? It’s true that each winter comes with its load of additional repairs; however, if you locate a greater amount of cracks in the walls, it may be that your roof is undergoing more changes than it should.

According to the National Building Code, a frame can withstand a minimum load of 21 pounds per square foot. What is more difficult to assess is the weight of the snow as it is made of several layers with variable density. That’s when it becomes necessary to carry out a visual inspection: rounded ceilings, structural movement of the walls, doors that get stuck and sudden water leaks.

 Antarctic scenery

Although every morning I was lucky enough to benefit from such a breathtaking scenery, I still tried to convince her to have all this snow removed, but to no avail. Indeed, she was so confident that the structure would hold up that she elected not to hire the services of a professional. Not to mention that she was often away. Fortunately, as of now, only her gutters seem to be paying for it.

There is no right or wrong answer to this problem. Just stay alert and adapt based on when your home was built. It is highly recommended to consult a specialist for a thorough analysis or to have the snow removed.

Mr. Gutters (or Mr. Roofing)