FAQs: Quality Metal Roofing During The Winter Months
Dear Friend,
With winter just around the corner, homeowners frequently ask how a metal roof handles the two most damaging cold weather elements: ice and snow. We’ve shared with you some of the most common concerns and their answers below.
Will snow easily clear off of my metal roof, or will it freeze and pile up?
Snow and ice slide right off a metal roof in a clean sweep. For this reason, metal roofing continues to be a very popular roofing choice in even the most cold and snowy climates, including cooler regions of the US and Canada.
Lucky for you, with a metal roof you’ll never have to worry about the destructive effects of ice damming -- when snow backs up against your roof eaves and forces water into your home under the shingles.
Because durable metal roofing is designed to shed snow and ice, you’ll also be free from worrying about icicles or ice buildup that can tear down your gutters.
This brings up our next question...
If snow and ice shed from metal roofs so easily, what prevents large and potentially dangerous chunks from falling onto nearby walkways and traffic areas?
Metal roofing systems are not only designed to shed snow and ice, but can also be installed with snow guards or heating cables. Both of these help to break up large snow and ice chunks to avoid the "avalanche" effect that might otherwise occur outside your home during the winter.
As strange as it sounds, the prevalence of heat sources within the attic or under the roof cause ice on metal and asphalt roofs by melting snow in one area and allowing the runoff to re-freeze in another.
Frank Farmer, owner of American Metal Roofs in Michigan, recommends you consult with your local metal roofing contractor to locate these heat sources within your home. Once these heat sources are found, you’ll be able to tailor the installation of your new metal roof so that snow and ice shed easily and safely.
Is it possible to install a metal roof during the winter months in a snowy region, such as Colorado in the middle of January?
Metal roof installations are not at all uncommon even during the most brutal winter seasons, especially because a heavy winter snow can be the breaking point for an old roof that needs to be replaced.
Sincerely,
Tom Black
Executive Director, Metal Roofing Alliance
The Metal Roofing Alliance is a consortium of metal roofing manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and contractors with the main goal of educating consumers about the many benefits of metal roofing.
