Snowy Rooftops Becoming Big Problem For Some Homeowners
By Mike Dougherty
By Mike Dougherty
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With temperatures rarely moving above freezing, all the snow we've had is starting to pile up in many places, including the roof of your house. It's a problem that can cause serious damage.
Several roofs have collapsed in the region under the weight of heavy snow and ice. While that's a worst case scenario for home owners, it's not very common, according to John Smith with Cambridge Exteriors in Berlin, New Jersey. He says ice damming is far more prevalent. That's when ice prevents water from draining off the roof.
"The ice is building up, your gutters are going to get ripped down because of the weight," Smith says. You see that a lot. Fascia boards can get ripped off, that's the wood behind the gutters."
Smith says be on the look out for water marks on the walls inside your home.
"You got to be concerned with looking on the edges of the inside of your house," he says. "If you start seeing water or water marks, that's because the water is backing up from the ice dams and getting into your home."
He says there's not much you can do once this process has started. Do not go up there to start chipping away. It can be very dangerous and cause more damage to your home. Smith advises you to call a professional who specializes in roof ice removal.
