DENVER (KDVR) — With heavy snow in the forecast, you may be wondering just how much snow your roof can handle. The answer, according to roofers? Quite a bit.
“As long as your roof is quality and you trust in it, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about,” says Laya Laboe.
Laboe owns Family Roofing and Restoration in Lakewood, and says most roofs in Colorado are designed to withstand multiple feet of heavy, wet snow.
Even new-build homes with seemingly flat roofs have a slight angle to allow snow to slide off, according to Laboe.
“Be assured that that slant is going to bring the ice-melted water into the gutters,” she says.
Laboe tells the Problem Solvers homeowners should make sure gutters are cleared out before the storm arrives. That’s because clogged gutters can cause pooling water to freeze, pushing up nearby shingles, and giving water easy access to your attic.
“If you’ve noticed in the past an area where icicles are hanging off the gutter, then this would be a potential area where an ice dam would occur,” she says.
Laboe says homeowners with missing shingles may also want to consider tarping off that area before the storm arrives.
Following the storm, Laboe says people should resist the urge to try to remove snow immediately from your roof.
In 2019, a man was buried by snow and killed in Crested Butte while trying to remove snow from a commercial building.
“It’s really not advisable to climb your roof when there’s snow on it. I won’t do it, and most professionals won’t do it,” says Laboe. “So I wouldn’t advise any homeowners to climb up when there’s ice or snow up there that could easily cause a fall.”
She recommends calling a professional if you see water inside your home in the days following the storm, as that could indicate a problem with your roof.