It's been a while since I have sat down to write in ourblog. It could have something to do with the fact that we have been spending a lot of time outside shoveling the snow from our driveway. It seems that as soon as we finish the driveway, it slides off our roof and onto the deck - and back out we go. But there is good news in that last sentence. It slides off our roof, as we have a metal roof. Meaning that we have less weight bearing down on our roof system and little chance of ice dam damage. What is this, you say? Check out these photos:
Sunriver has seen over 5 feet of snow fall so far this winter. With the recent series of storms not allowing any time for melting, we see many roofs with three plus feet of snow on them. Most Sunriver homes have roofs that were constructed to withstand 50 pounds per sq ft of snow load. But damage can happen before we reach that weight. The weight may not collapse your roof, but you might see drywall cracks and pressure on door jambs, making them difficult to open and close. The potential damage that we think is most concerning comes from ice dams. Ice dams are what you see in the first and second photos. With all the snow on the roof there is a huge insulation factor coming from the snow. Some of the heat from your home is still finding ways to escape through the ceiling/attic and roof. The bottom layer of snow on the roof is melting and running down the pitch of the roof. All is fine, until it gets to the overhang that has cold air coming from the bottom. This causes the flowing water to freeze on the spot. With the snow above continuing to melt and flow downward, it forms a dam. This dam can actually cause the water to flow back up the roof and under the shingles or shakes and into the home. This can be a real mess. Back in the winter of all winters (1992/93 when 144" of snow fell in Sunriver) we saw a lot of this type of water damage. Since that time many of the older cedar shake roofs have been replaced by metal and composition shingles (that were not allowed until the early 1990's). However, water can still find its way through these materials.
It's a good idea to at least remove the bottom portion of snow and ice from your roof. When the sun does finally re-emerge, it will easily melt the bottom section allowing for non hindered run off for what is above. And with the recent slowdown in building, there are many qualified, insured, licensed & bonded, ready to work construction laborers out there. Call now and take care of business or you may be calling the same fellows to do some interior remodeling sooner that you had planned.
Marcus & Connie Schwing
Brokers
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