Snow On Roof Weight Distribution

When designing and building a new roof you should give consideration to any face of the of the home that s going to be sheltered from the wind or precipitation as this can.

Snow on roof weight distribution.

Wet snow can be nearly three times heavier than dry fluffy snow. Please remember that the numbers given by this calculator are just an approximation and are by no means 100 accurate. Here are a few examples of the weight of snow on a roof. All numbers are approximate.

So while a cubic foot of fresh powder might weigh in at 7 pounds that same amount of wet packed snow. The roof pitch affects weight distribution allowing it to hold a little more snowpack safely. Thus as the roof gets steeper the rafter gets longer and the weight of roofing materials increases. Roof structure and load bearing capacity.

1 foot of snow on the roof 8 000 lbs 4 tons 7 psf 2 feet of snow on the roof 16 000 lbs 8 tons 14 psf 3 feet of snow on the roof 24 000 lbs 12 tons 21 psf. In addition the slope of the roof helps to dump some of that snow back on the ground removing more stress. Rain sleet and ice add to the weight of existing snow. Where snow isn t a problem the live load can come from people working on the roof and any equipment they take on to the.

A roof is composed mainly of two parts the cladding or external material and the internal support structure which holds it up. The live load on a roof is the weight of any temporary objects on the roof. 28 40 light fluffy snow. Our snow load calculator helps you to make the decision when to remove the snow from your roof by comparing the weight of snow with the load carrying capacity of the roof.

The weight of the snow. On average two feet of snow can equal up to 19 tons of weight on your roof which can significantly weaken the structure. But isn t it more accurate to figure the weight of snow and roofing materials by measuring along the actual length of the rafter. How much does snow weigh on a roof.

Psf pounds per square foot. I often see roof loads calculated based on the horizontal run of the roof. A steep roof does a much better job of handling snow than a flat roof does. Additionally if snow falls unevenly on the roof then of course the weight distribution of the accumulation is going to be uneven which poses and even greater risk.