How Much Snow Is To Much On My Roof

One of the major determining factors for how much snow is too much for your roof is how heavy the snow fall is.

How much snow is to much on my roof.

How much snow a roof can hold depends on the type of snow roofline and material among other considerations. Low pitched and flat roofs are most susceptible to collapses. You have probably heard of or seen the difference between wet snow and fluffy snow. We have some good news for you.

But as the chart below shows packed snow with ice can. For the twin cities metro area the roof snow load equals 35 pounds per square foot or 7 x 50. So how much snow does this equal. Fluffy fresh snow can weigh as little as three pounds per square foot compared with 21 pounds for wet heavy snow according to fema.

57 pounds a square foot. The roof deck collects the snow load and transfers the weight to the rafters. It calls for 20 psf throughout most of ohio and 25 psf along a north south strip in the eastern half of the state. The residential code of ohio which applies to one and two family homes shows a map indicating the required snow load.

Wet snow weighs considerably more than dry or fluffy snow because as you can probably guess water weighs more than air. Most roof designs can handle snow loads of 20 40 lbs per square foot. For any rafter the portion of the roof deck that transfers this load is the tributary area. How much snow is too much for my roof to support.

These questions aren t quite so easy to answer because there are several variables. As everyone knows cold fluffy snow is very light while wet snow can be extremely heavy. So how much snow does this equal. How much snow can my residential roof hold.

The chart below courtesy of paul schimnowski p e gives some examples of snow loads. How much snow can your roof support. The 20 psf load is equivalent to 14 inches of snow at the design. Roof collapse can happen to new and old buildings alike and can cause extensive damage to the building and contents.

So you most likely will never have to worry about removing snow from your roof. As everyone knows cold fluffy snow is very light. Most roofs are built to support heavy loads of snow without having any problems all winter long.