Steep Roofs Snow

P s c s p f.

Steep roofs snow.

If every roof was flat there d be a lot more leaks and water damage. Asphalt is the most versatile and works well in any roof pitch climate. Thanks to gravity rain and snow will fall off a steep pitched roof more easily than a low pitched roof. Over time these puddles can cause rot mildew and other issues.

Otherwise it would settle in a puddle. Roof designs with changing slopes that drain steep roofs to flatter roofs are likely to promote the development of ice in the area where the roof slopes meet. Pitched roofs are there for a reason they help the flow of rainwater and even snow to move away from the roof. Why do we design this way.

The most common roofing material is asphalt shingles. The general temperature will determine the exact roof pitch with a lower pitch being best for temperate zones and steeper for areas that experience snowfall. Standing seams of metal roofing can restrict snow runoff and promote the development of ice dams near the lower ends of valleys. Our approach in north america is to use a metal roof with a steep slope that will allow the snow and ice to slide off.

Be sure to keep the climate in mind when picking out the perfect roof pitch for your home. Snow loads acting on a sloping surface shall be assumed to act on the horizontal projection of that surface. The sloped roof snow load p s shall be obtained by multiplying the flat roof snow load p f by the roof slope factor c s. This gets rid of moisture quicker and avoids weight issues with piled up snow and ice especially in areas with a lot of precipitation.

The thermal factor c t from table e 3 determines if a roof is cold or warm slippery surface values shall be used only where the roof s surface is unobstructed and sufficient.