Flat Roof House Snow

Stay ahead of winter s worst with these tips.

Flat roof house snow.

A flat roof house and winter weather might not seem like an ideal pair. Wind seismic building weight furniture occupants etc. And if it doesn t run away from the house it s going to eventually run inside. From ice dams to snow weight and water leaks your flat roof could give you a christmas present you didn t ask for.

A flat roof sits cleaner on the horizon and breaks up the scenery less. It should come as no wonder then that these are experiencing a serious comeback right now. Since snow falls at slow steady speeds large quantities of snow can fall on the roof resulting. Flat roofs are efficient economic to construct and can look beautiful.

Yet for historic modern style buildings like this old house s cambridge tv project flat roofs are at the core of the architecture meant to reflect the broad horizontal lines of the natural landscape. But they can also be susceptible to damage during the winter. Damages snow causes to flat roofs ponding bowing. Flat roofs can t possibly support all the extra weight a totally valid concern but rest assured your architect and engineer have this in mind when designing the roof structure.

For example you can make a rooftop patio or garden for your home. Regardless of how new or modern a house is there is a good chance that it will be topped off with a flat roof now but if you can t picture how great they look we. It s true than in a city neighbourhood with predominantly older houses flat roofs stick out but it is the opposite in the country side. Ask any architect and they ll tell you that hardly any other type of architecture is as timeless and modern as that of flat roof houses.

As snow falls it can accumulate on your flat roof putting unnecessary weight on the structure. If the added weight is a concern you could shovel some of the extra snow off. Snow is actually one of the easiest to design for and all. Of course you don t need to live in a modern house to deal with a flat roof.

This down bearing pressure can cause the roof to bow and result in ponding under the roof structure. A flat roof however doesn t have this problem at all since it lies horizontally on top of the house. But with preventative care you can keep your flat roofing without worrying about snow and ice buildup here s how. From an aesthetic standpoint a house in the country with a flat roof blends in much better than a house with a pitched roof.