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The recent snow storm has packed near record amounts of snow onto roofs, prompting some homeowners to fear a collapse. Monday, homes and businesses in Wichita are bracing for another significant snow dump.
So you may be wondering; just how much snow weight can a roof hold.
"The steeper the pitch of the roof, the less the load," says Blake Roberts of Wichita Roofing and Remodeling. "Most of our roofs are design for a ten pound dead load," he adds.
Basically, that means your home roof can hold ten pounds per square foot. Roberts says even with all the snow the city has received, most home roofs are fine.
However, carports and commercial buildings with flat roofs may have a weight problem if the snow continues to accumulate. In part, because when the snow melts, the water has nowhere to go.
Most calls coming into Wichita Roofing right now involve leaks. Roberts says "ice damming" can happen when the snow melts. The water hits a block of ice and dams. It then moves back up the roof. Wichita area roofs aren't designed to guard against that, Roberts says.
If you do get a leak, grab some buckets and wait it out. It's too dangerous to be working on a roof in these conditions.