Winter weather can cause some serious issues around a home. One of these potential issues is the damage that can come from snow or ice falling from the roof. When snow slides off of a roof, it typically does so in very large chunks. These can be relatively heavy – one pound of heavy, wet snow can be equal to about 21 pounds per square foot. Ice can be even heavier – one foot of ice can be equal to 57 pounds per square foot. All of that weight can be bad for a roof, but it can also cause serious damage to people or property that it falls on as it slides off the roof.
Of course, this becomes less of an issue in places where there isn’t much snowfall. However, even in these areas, homeowners have installed snow guards on their roofs. Snow guards are a simple device that helps to break up the sheets of snow and ice on your roof as they make their way down.
