Roof collapse fears keep roofing companies busy
Shovelling all the snow in your driveway is a big enough job, but now many Nova Scotia residents find themselves having to shovel their roofs and the problem will only get worse tomorrow with rain in the forecast.
In Bedford on Friday, crews used snowblowers to clear the roof of the Canadian Tire store.
Just down the road at the Daniel Nestor Tennis Centre, they had to bring down the dome as a precaution because of the heavy snow and put out the call on social media for volunteers to help shovel.
"The volume of snow that we got in just a short time overwhelmed the system," Jerry White from the centre said.
Business has been brisk at Crown Roofing, where Todd Reteff says his staff are working flat out.
"I just took a call from a woman and her roof is leaking in every room," he said.
John MacIntyre with 5 Star Roofing says it's been very hectic this week.
"Many a crew out all week long, every week actually since this started and guys are working every day."
MacIntyre says it's hard work.
"When you hit the ice, you can wear yourself out pretty quick because it doesn't want to let go especially since it's covered with three feet of snow," he said.
Crews from Crown Roofing were tackling Peter Gregson's home in St. Margaret's Bay on Friday.
"We weren't leaking or anything like that," Gregson said. "My understanding is the roof trusses rated 40 pounds per square foot. With the snow load up there and rain this weekend, it's well in excess of 40 pounds. I didn't want to see the roof collapse."
What's known as ice dams are the biggest danger for roofs. Once they build up, they hold in water which then travels inside the building.
Saturday's forecast of rain will exacerbate the situation.
The cost of having your roof cleared can range from several hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on the amount of snow and ice and size of your home.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says it doesn't know yet whether there will be more claims for water damage this winter and it cautions not everyone is automatically covered.
