Flat roofs and snow

Does freezing temperatures and snow affect a flat roof?

Many people are labouring under the delusion that flat roofs leak, require ongoing maintenance and need to be replaced every decade.

And when it comes to winter, these misconceptions are only magnified. A flat roof simply can’t deal with snow and ice. A flat roof will be easily damaged in stormy weather. Sub-zero temperatures spell the end of a flat roof.

The truth is that snow can affect both types of roof – flat and pitched – and if your roof is of a substandard material, this could cause significant damage. In the past, poor design, materials and installation meant that flat roofs could buckle under the weight of snow. Therefore it’s hardly surprising that this is still a valid concern for many homeowners.

Challenges of snow and a flat roof

Unlike pitched roofs, a flat roof cannot rely on gravity to dispose of snow and ice. And when you consider that one square foot of compacted snow weighs up to 50lbs, you can imagine how much stress a large amount of snow can put on a roof.

Simply put, older flat felt roofs, particularly those you would find on a shed, garage or carport, were never designed or constructed to support such a heavy load.

There is also the issue of snow and ice melting and refreezing – something that regularly happens as a result of the heat of the sun or your home’s heating warming up the snow before the temperature drops again at night. When snow refreezes, it will almost always refreeze and expand at the edges and in any joins or cracks in your flat roof. It will then melt before freezing and expanding again, creating even larger gaps and cracks. Inevitably, this won’t stop until water leaks into your home.

What about modern flat roofs?

Advances in building technology and application mean that even those who live in the harshest climates are able to comfortably live in a home with a flat roof. Many countries with far colder winters continue to install flat roofs that stand the test of time. By utilising cutting edge structural designs, they can ride out heavy snowfall with ease.

This sort of technology is also available in the UK. High-Tech’s single-ply PVC flat roofing membranes will perform in any climate. They have been specifically engineered to form a 100% waterproof covering that is offers full protection from snow, ice, wind, rain and sun. They will never become brittle, blister or crack and are 100% maintenance-free.

And they come with a rock solid, no-quibble LIFETIME guarantee .

Take a leaf out of the colder countries’ books – install a highly acclaimed, high performance flat roofing system and don’t spend another minute worrying about what snow or ice could do to your home.