Friday, February 12, 2010

the roof over your head

Those who live in flat-roofed buildings should look at their ceilings.  The heavy snow has caused roofs to collapse, including the roof of a airplane hanger at Dulles Airport, the roof of the Prince William Ice Center, the roofs of two DC churches and two Fairfax fire stations.   An alert from the National Capital Region fire chiefs states:
If they have a flat roof, homeowners should monitor the ceiling below the roof and look for the following signs of roof collapse:
  • Sagging ceiling beneath the flat roof.
  • New cracks on the ceiling drywall or plaster.
  • Popping, cracking or creaking sounds.
  • Doors and/or windows that can no longer be opened or closed.
Residents should evacuate their home if they notice any of these warning signs, and they should call 9-1-1 if their roof collapses. Homeowners should not try to clear snow off of their roof because they may slip and fall or hit electrical wires. However, residents should clear the areas around downspouts and roof drains so that water from melting snow can flow away from the house.
So, in the midst of this tough winter, that's a good reason to look up.

1 comment:

Tiffany Larsen said...

Deep snow can be deep trouble for a roof. Once the snow has collected on a roof, it may begin to melt, thus increasing the potential for the roof to collapse. The only way to prevent this is by regularly shoveling off the snow on your roof. This is best done by using a snow rake designed for roofs.