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Should you be worried about the heavy layer of ice and snow that’s been weighing on your roof for nearly two weeks?
The good news is that, in general, home roofs can hold up to several feet of snow, if they’re working as designed.
If you’re concerned about potential leaks, Joe Palumbo, owner of the nationwide ice dam removal company Ice Dam Guys, suggested buying a roof rake to clear the snow yourself. That’s a rake with a long, telescoping arm and wheels to prevent the scraper from damaging shingles.
“Get as much snow off the roof as you can, but what’s most important are those overhangs,” Palumbo told WTOP. “Anything that doesn’t have a heated living space beneath, it would be an overhang or an eave, and if you can just get the snow off of that, or as high as you can reach, you’ll be miles ahead of those who don’t.”
Palumbo doesn’t think you need to call a professional for help clearing your roof, unless you see an ice dam forming in your gutters.
“If you can see that ice dam and you can see that it’s four, five, six or more inches thick, that’s when you might want to get ahead of the game and call someone to have the snow removed,” he said.
Small icicles hanging from your roof are generally OK, he said, but look around some more.
“If you see icicles coming through your soffits — that’s the area under the overhang — then you already know you have an ice dam. The water is backed up and it is leaking under your shingles. The next stage would be, you will see icicles growing on the siding of your house,” he said.
The closer the ice gets to the exterior of your house, the more likely it is you’re going to have a leak inside your house, Palumbo said.
Tossing salt on your roof to melt snow and ice is not a good idea, he said, because if your roof leaks, you’ll end up with corrosive salt water inside.
“The best money anyone could spend is having a home energy audit done,” Palumbo said. During the audit, your home’s insulation, ventilation and other systems are checked.
