Trouble builds up on roofs

Phones at roofing contractors and hardware stores were ringing nonstop Monday as Omahans sought advice on keeping the snow piled on their roof from leaking into their homes.

Malcolm Watt, owner of Hometown Roofing Inc., said his office had received about 30 calls before 11 a.m. from people wanting snow removed from their roof.

The National Weather Service in Valley said 24 inches of snow has fallen on Omaha in December.

“Most winters it really isn't too much of a problem and Mother Nature takes care of everything,” Watt said. “But, because we've gotten two snowstorms on top of each other, this is one of those times when people are having trouble or getting worried.”

The problem with the heavy snow is two-fold, Watt said.

First, attics without proper ventilation and insulation can get so cold that frost builds up, he said.

“Then when it thaws, Katie bar the door because here comes the flood right through the ceiling,” Watt said.

Second, poor attic insulation can lead to ice dams in gutters, Watt said.

Warm air escapes into the attic and slowly melts snow on the roof. The water reaches the cold eaves and gutters where it forms ice dams. This trapped water then often seeps under roof shingles and into ceilings and walls.

Lynn Mytty, who lives near 150th and Cuming Streets, said she had problems about eight years ago with ice dams on her roof.

“There were pockets near the peaks on my roof where the sun couldn't get to melt the snow,” she said. “The water backed up, came into my house and I lost part of an interior wall.”

When the snow fell this year, Mytty decided to be proactive and call for help before problems developed. A crew from Lastime Roofing of Omaha came out Monday afternoon and cleaned off her roof.

“I decided it would be easier to pay their price now rather then pay a deductible (for her insurance) to clean up the damage later,” Mytty said.

At Pyramid Roofing, a spokeswoman said callers are advised to first try to use a roof rake themselves — if that can be done safely from the ground. Otherwise, a roofing contractor is recommended.

Roofing experts advised against using a regular rake to remove snow. They also warned against throwing salt or other ice-melting materials onto the roof because of their corrosive nature.

A roof rake, a specialty tool that usually has a blade about 2 feet long with a lengthy handle, costs between $10 and $70.

Calls to hardware stores in Omaha found few roof rakes for sale but assurances from the businesses that large shipments of the tool are due by midweek.

Denny Whited, a sales representative at Builders Supply Co., said a run on roof rakes began as soon as people heard about a couple of local roof cave-ins, including one at the Piper Resources Inc. warehouse near 45th and F Streets.

He pointed out that the warehouse had an essentially flat roof.

“They don't stop to consider this was a flat roof, which is different from a pitch roof on a typical home. Flat roofs are not set up to for a big snow load,” he said.

Roof rakes, Whited said, are specially constructed so they won't damage shingles that may be brittle from the cold or electrical cables that run along the tops of homes.

“I had a neighbor go up on his roof to chop ice with a hatchet and later he wondered why his roof was leaking,” Whited said. “A good roofer is better-equipped and knows what can and can't be done.”

Contact the writer:

444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com

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