| Author |
Message |
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
 Posted: Sun May 29, 2016 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
 |
|
| *Darren wrote: |
| cdennisg wrote: |
I just thought of yet another point concerning metal roofing. Gutters are nearly impossible in snow country. We have had several homeowners that insisted on gutter install after we built the home. We try to warn them that the first time a foot of wet, heavy snow slowly creeps off the roof their new gutters will be on the ground, buried deeply under that snow until spring. Some folks actually have new gutters installed the next summer, hoping for a different outcome.
Large over hangs, and proper waterproofing/drainage around the foundation makes the lack of gutters a non-issue. |
really? i find that hard to believe. metal roofs of various vintages in the entire hood. 36" snow dump and not a single gutter down. New roof just before winter, no problem - maybe it's my cooper half round? nah that's not it. Proper installation and the snow will not bring the gutter down and it's not the snow dams either. My guess pitch of the roof too shallow. |
Happens all the time. If you get some heavy wet snow, then a hard freeze, the snow sticks to the roof. A gradual warming trend will cause the snow to loosen its grip and creep slowly down the roof. It will make a giant curl around the eave, removing the gutter as all of the weight from above bears down. If that snow had icicles form at the bottom edge before it started creeping, those icicles now begin to point toward the wall of the house, often breaking windows as the snow continues creeping. Eventually, the weight gets too much for the elasticity of the snow and the whole things breaks off in a giant thump.
I generally pull that stuff of with a roof rake before it gets too far. No average gutter stands a chance in that situation. I have seen a from of covered gutter that was built and fastened very well that might withstand the snow load, but they are very expensive and most folks won't spring for them. As I said before, proper drainage and large overhangs take care of the problem better than gutters in these situations.
P.S. I tried to find some photos of what I am trying to convey, but those I could find were encrypted or something. Here is a link that shows drawing and some other related stuff.
http://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/engi...0Roofs.pdf
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Sun May 29, 2016 5:16 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
Here is a view from inside a house that has about three feet of snow hanging from a metal roof.
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Sun May 29, 2016 5:19 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
Here's a good one that shows a gutter intact. If that snow is frozen with the gutter, that whole things comes down when the snow finally breaks off. Looks like the gutter is already separating from the fascia.
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Sun May 29, 2016 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
Another beauty!
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dwayne1m
Samba Member
Joined: December 31, 2011
Posts: 3538
Location: Pennsylvania
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 5:54 am Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| Shouldn't the snow guards stop this snow sliding problem? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Gary
Person of Interest
Joined: November 01, 2002
Posts: 17069
Location: 127.0.0.1
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 7:43 am Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| cdennisg wrote: |
Another beauty!
|
Those are some interesting pictures. The way the ice curves as the ice river flows is neat. I take it people wait for those to melt, because breaking ice that thick would be quite the chore as well as inherently dangerous.
_________________
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
&Dan
Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2008
Posts: 1784
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 9:23 am Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| Ga-a-a-hhh! No thanks- I'm staying in the desert. Shoosh! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 10:23 am Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| Dwayne1m wrote: |
| Shouldn't the snow guards stop this snow sliding problem? |
Yes, they do. But if your roof isn't engineered to hold four feet of snow while it's raining and 35 degrees, you are much better off to let it slide.
I have seen snow stops ripped completely off the roof in the same scenario.
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 10:26 am Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| Gary wrote: |
| cdennisg wrote: |
| Another beauty! |
Those are some interesting pictures. The way the ice curves as the ice river flows is neat. I take it people wait for those to melt, because breaking ice that thick would be quite the chore as well as inherently dangerous. |
Usually, when they reach this point, they are in extreme tension and it may only take a tap with a shovel blade to knock the whole thing down. There is an amazing amount of elasticity in snow. Also a lot of weight.
In my past I did a fair amount of back country skiing and also did a bunch of avalanche training and forecasting. Snow dynamics are really interesting.
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 10:28 am Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| &Dan wrote: |
| Ga-a-a-hhh! No thanks- I'm staying in the desert. Shoosh! |
HAHAHA! I can dig it. But high heat, dust, and snakes keep me out of the desert and in the mountains of the Great Northwest. I think these things are what some may call "trade-offs".
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
&Dan
Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2008
Posts: 1784
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 3:05 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
Yes, but we have horned toads, which means I can holler, like Yosemite Sam, "GREAT HORNY TOADS!" when I spot one in the backyard and it's true and appropriate.
So there's that. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 3:26 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
About two months ago I had the opportunity to chase a moose out of the front yard with a pool noodle while yelling "stop eating the tulips?". That was fun.
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
*Darren
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2013
Posts: 917
Location: MD
|
| Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| If snow guards wont help, I'd guess the other issue is that they are aluminum gutters that are basically nailed into a board often using an aluminum spike (which tend to work themselves loose with time). We certainly do not routinely get extreme snowfalls here, but we've had snowfalls around 30" or more in 3 of the last 8 years. At least in the historic district it might be due to half round gutters and the use of shanks? I don't know but I just haven't seen any gutters come down and we certainly see freeze thaw type conditions. This February it was wild walking past the house up the street with the snow/ice hanging so far over the roof that it obscured most of the second floor windows. Maybe the one thing that saves all this is that most of these homes are only 20 feet wide at most (although many are attached to several other homes). Just never seen it before. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
|
| Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 6:13 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone have experience with a metal roof? |
|
|
| *Darren wrote: |
| If snow guards wont help, I'd guess the other issue is that they are aluminum gutters that are basically nailed into a board often using an aluminum spike (which tend to work themselves loose with time). We certainly do not routinely get extreme snowfalls here, but we've had snowfalls around 30" or more in 3 of the last 8 years. At least in the historic district it might be due to half round gutters and the use of shanks? I don't know but I just haven't seen any gutters come down and we certainly see freeze thaw type conditions. This February it was wild walking past the house up the street with the snow/ice hanging so far over the roof that it obscured most of the second floor windows. Maybe the one thing that saves all this is that most of these homes are only 20 feet wide at most (although many are attached to several other homes). Just never seen it before. |
I am sure that there are heavy duty gutters and attachment systems that would help, but it seems that most folks aren't willing to gamble with that investment. With just the right conditions, there likely isn't a gutter made that will still hang in there. Once that happens, you have to make that investment all over again.
_________________
nothing |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
