November 27, 2014

How can you Handle Winter Roof Care as a Landlord?

Winter, heavy snow

Winter is coming which means ice, snow and cold temperatures to deal with. Landlords have to deal with the extra responsibility of ensuring their rental property is safe for tenants. In addition to worrying about snow removal, it’s important to take a look at the roof.

Roofs that are well-insulated can handle snow resting there until it melts but accumulation can harm the structure. Here is what landlords need to do to make sure snowy, cold weather doesn’t damage their property and become a hazard.

Icicle Danger

Make sure to look up from the ground because there may be some icicles up above waiting to fall. Huge icicles and ice dams usually occur when there is poor insulation in the attic or warm air leaking from the home to the attic.

Snow and ice exposed to a warm roof cause melting to occur faster which means it will move down the slope of the roof along the edges. Here is the water damage that occurs when you have icicles and ice dams:

  • Water damage to your roof, interior walls, and ceilings
  • Wet insulation must be replaced
  • Flooding in rooms damaging carpets
  • Water affecting electrical system
  • Mold

In addition, people and pets may get injured from the falling ice. If you see any large icicles, it’s a sign your roof is in trouble.

How to Prevent Damage

You need to stay on top of icicle and snow buildup before a disaster happens. Install commercial snow guards to allow drainage to redirect drainage to another area. Don’t knock down large icicles yourself because you could pull off the gutter.

For ice dams, you need to do a visual inspection of the roofline and see if there is any buildup of snow in certain spots. To prevent them from forming get gutter screens, non-corrosive ice melt and pull snow away with roof rakes. If needed, get a roof heating system.

You also may want to call a professional to get your roof assessed and prevent ice damage this winter.