In the fallout of the recent Storm Emma here in Dublin, Ireland, Roof Solutions received a flood of inquiries relating to snow and high wind damage. As a country that rarely experiences the volume of snowfall produced by storm Emma, Irish homes can often be ill equipped for such conditions
One way roofing and guttering can be damaged by snow is through sheer weight. Depending on geographical location, building codes for load requirements may differ drastically. In Ireland The requirements are not nearly as high as, for example, Canada where temperatures can plummet as low as -50 °C. This means roofs in Ireland can be at risk during the extremely rare snowfall this year.
Another way snow can damage a roof is through the build up of ice. This happens when the heat from inside the house rises and melts the lower layer of snow on the roof. The liquid water then flows down to the gutters where it can form ice dams. The water then gets backed up and can run under the roof tiles and shingles causing internal water leaks and damage to the tiling and sheathing.
If you think your roof or gutters have been damaged by the heavy snow, contact us and we can organise an inspection. Our highly experienced team can asses the damage and figure out the best repair strategy going forward.