Earlier this week we posted an article on snow load and Minnesota roofs. Should you be concerned? First of all, we've had record snow falls this year in the Minneapolis area. Second, what's forecast for the coming weekend is a lot of heavy, wet snow that could possibly tax some roofs that already have quite a bit of build-up.

When snow is accumulating on a roof, especially if there is a lot of dense, heavy snow, it can cause damage to the a number of things - not just your roofing shingles but the fascia, gutters, and more. But there's the potential for overloading your roofing structures such as the underlayment and even the trusses. Depending on the strength of what makes up your roof, it might not be able to hold the weight of the snow that Mother Nature has dumped on it.

One thing that can happen as snow builds up on a roof is that both the pressure and repeated thawing and re-freezing can turn that snow to ice. One cubic feet of ice can weigh as much as 57 pounds. With the recommended snow load on homes in our area being 35 pounds per square foot, that's alarming. You don’t want to worry about the pressure and weight that it is putting on the roof. It's important to take care of that snow before it turns to ice. Ice can cause many issues for a home, so by preventing it from developing, you could be avoiding major problems.

Snow removal is a must when there is a potential for build-up of heavy, wet snow. But we don't suggest doing it yourself; it's a very dangerous job to undertake. Make sure you call in ice dam prevention professionals and rooftop snow removal experts.We can not only get rid of your current ice dams, but we can suggest (and install) solutions to prevent them from developing in the future.

Minnesota's snows can be hard on our roofs, but with the right roofing and other measures, it doesn't have to be that way.

Quarve Contracting, Inc. is a Minnesota licensed roofing company serving the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area as well as surrounding communities, including western Wisconsin.