Flat Roof Homes And Snow. Metal roof structures are ideal in these conditions but may require snow stops for areas where accumulating snow can reach high depths. Snow removal is a necessary chore but it can also be a dangerous one. A flat roof needs to be built right, and know how to handle rain and snow to survive our canadian climate. Snow stops can also be an ideal functioning product […]

A flat roof gives your home a sleek, modern profile, but it comes with its own share of special considerations. For roofs that are flat and with ground snow loads lower than 20 pounds per square foot, the roof snow load is equal to 70% of the product of the exposure, thermal and importance factors and the ground snow load. Used commonly on large buildings and outbuildings, the flat roof has its own special set of needs and challenges. In this case, you might get leaks if your roof is old as hell, but the snow is going to melt pretty fast, and roofs, including flat ones, aren�t going down on this newest snow dump. This can eventually cause problems with ice dams. While most roofs are designed to hold up to 20 pounds per square foot according to modern building codes, older structures and those with flat roofs may struggle under the weight of even moderate snow accumulation.²

This could mean flat roofs may not raise the same red flags they used to.

A flat roof is water resistant, so you do not have to worry about water damage. How to care for a flat roof in the winter. In most flat roofed homes, heated spaces are situated directly under the roof, without any buffer from an unheated attic. Nowadays, flat roofed houses dating back to the 1930s will need the same sort of restorative care as other older buildings, even if the look is deceptively modern. If durability is important to you, then a flat roof is just the system for you. 16 inches is not going to destroy your roof.