How to prevent roof damage during winter | Groupe DPA

How to prevent roof damage during winter

Quebec roofs are designed to withstand the toughest of winters. However, harsh weather and excessive snowfall can sometimes get the better of them and cause serious damage to homes.

As winter advances, roofs are exposed to greater risk. Due to combinations of thaw, extreme cold and periods of rain, ice and snow, layers of ice can form on roofs and prevent water from draining naturally. This can lead to water leaking into your home, and possibly cause the roof to collapse!

Indications of roof damage to watch for inside your home

Some indications are obvious! Here are a few that something serious is brewing above your head:

  • creaking noises
  • doors opening as if by magic
  • cracks appearing on the walls

Indications of roof damage to watch for outside your home

As every skilled snow remover know, not all winter precipitation weighs the same! Your roof knows that too! Your roof is more or less at risk depending on the weight and volume of the snow and ice that has built up on it.

The diagram below shows that roofs can withstand thick snow more easily than thick ice (data based on the resistance threshold of a flat roof built after 1980).

 

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