“There’s not a whole lot that can be done”: Roof collapses a concern for weekend storm

With Denver expecting anywhere from one to three feet of snow this weekend, roofing system stability is among the lots of concerns that featured the storm.

For metro location homeowners, it’s far too late to start preventative procedures for your roofing system with the snow anticipated to hit tough starting Friday.

But if you have actually asphalt shingles installed, you can clear a spot of snow to securely get up and brush the snow off.

“Other than that, there’s not a lot that can be done,” stated Cory Nerz with A-Denver Roofing. “Hopefully the roofing structure is sound enough, is actually what it boils down to.”

If you do select to get up on your roofing, Randy Brothers, president of Elite Roofing, said you’ll require a harness.

Property owners with roofs constructed of tile, wood and other synthetic-style product are encouraged to not stroll on them when there is wetness present due to the higher risk of collapse and the slippery surface.

Older houses are the main point of issue, considered that they were developed when building codes didn’t always represent heavy snow loads.

“Unless they’ve changed something or brought it up to code, they are the ones that are going to be more vulnerable,” said Tom Bouckaert, production supervisor for Interstate Roofing Inc.

Denver. Older homes usually have a rafter span of 24 inches on center, he stated, which has actually been a bit too big, creating a deflection in the roofing deck.

“Over time, the roofing system deck is deteriorated because it’s covering too much weight of consistent snow loads, numerous weathering and basic wear and tear,” Bouckaert said.

Bouckaert stated that more recent houses are normally built on a rafter period of 16 inches on center, and are more geared up to sustain the current building regulations of 30 pounds per square inch of snow load.

Bro is most worried about older houses and buildings that have flat roofings. Roofings that are steeper will hold less snow, with more falling off as it melts.

Laura Schwarts, director of interactions for Denver’s Community Planning and Development, stated roofings aren’t considered not up to code if they do not fulfill today’s requirements. The codes that use to building and construction are whatever the codes were when the roofing was developed.

“If you’re taking a look at a roofing system in a home that’s 20 or 30 years old, it is up to whatever those codes were when the house was developed,” Schwarts said. “If the roofing has been changed today, then the roof needs to fulfill today’s building regulations.”

For people with older roofs seeking to improve stability, Brothers said they must talk to an engineer, not a roofing professional. Brothers said that in order to increase snow-load capacity, property owners will require more than simply roof products.

Brothers stated this process would include anything from strengthening rafters to doubling up sistering rafters to simply adding more rafters.

The price for having an engineer make a report could vary anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending upon the intricacy of the structure.

Roofing contractors hope that there aren’t numerous collapses, Nerz said there isn’t much to be done if you have an older house, provided possible structural problems.

“If you’ve invested any amount of time driving around town, there’s absolutely houses you can see with a severe deflection in the roofing system deck,” Bouckaert said. “Unfortunately, all things considered, there may be a few (roof collapses).”