There’s a Roof Collapse Epidemic in Massachusetts
Roof collapses are a cause for much concern this month, and no wonder. They’re an epidemic. Gov. Charlie Baker tweeted out a map showing 58 roof collapses in Massachusetts since February 9, due to the rather insane amounts of snow the region has received in that time. At this point, it’s basically news that your roof hasn’t collapsed.
58 reported roof collapses. Cant safely clear snow? Ensure contractor bonded & insured http://t.co/JwKRAziOxi #MAsnow pic.twitter.com/WQxV2JxpbL
— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) February 16, 2015
Roof collapses are, on the one hand, pretty predictable. Buildings can only handle so much weight (often about 30 pounds per square foot, according to Accuweather.) A vengeful god (or a pissed off Disney princess) continues to make it snow in New England. Historic buildings like this one in Hingham couldn’t take the pressure.
The scene of roof collapse in #Hingham Square. The Lincoln Building on South St. Road closures remain. #MAsnow pic.twitter.com/SxzvXxudWr — Hingham Police (@HinghamPolice) February 10, 2015
On the other hand, collapse can be a little tough to predict because not every inch of snow weighs the same. It depends on the water content. What’s more, snow drifts can lead to uneven distribution of weight on your roof, making collapse more likely. Worse, if it starts to rain, the lighter, fluffier snow will act like a sponge, absorbing the heavy water to ensure that all of it lands in your attic.
Partial roof collapse in Quincy at the shipyard. Photo courtesy of @quincymapolice #fox25 pic.twitter.com/3lN5jXhG30
— Robert Goulston (@rgoulston) February 9, 2015
So, with all that added risk in mind, MEMA has issued guidelines for building owners with a lot of snow on their roofs who hope to clear some of it. Some of them are obvious. Don’t put your own weight on the roof unless you’re sure it won’t collapse. Some are helpful. Rake snow from the roof from the outside in.
Building collapse of carpet business in Seabrook, NH due to 6-7 feet of snow of roof. Rt 1 area. (photo via Javi Gil) pic.twitter.com/vuogMMgjmt — AndreaWBZ (@AndreaWBZ) February 15, 2015
All of it comes from a concern that just because your roof survived several absurd bouts of snowfall, it may not survive the next one unless you start clearing some of the past snowfall from it.
Picture: Weight of heavy #snow collapsed roof of a #Massachusetts Lowe’s garden center http://t.co/3A8bjaTvnu #mawx pic.twitter.com/aVwu4yD5Mc
— Johnny Kelly (@stormchaser4850) February 16, 2015
Woman in #Volvo survives garage collapse via @WCVB http://t.co/skbaNIttPE pic.twitter.com/69gQtcrAmO
— Volvo Cars US (@volvocarsus) February 17, 2015
