Modern houses are likely to hold even an untypically heavy snow load.

For individual homeowners, a heavy snow load piling up on the roof can cause sleepless nights. In modern houses the likelihood of structures giving in under even an exceptionally heavy snow load is small, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

The building regulations concerning the structures’ ability to accommodate snow loads have changed over the years and vary by region. Therefore each building should be capable of withstanding a maximum weight according to the regulations in effect in the region at the time it was built.

According to hydrologist Esko Kuusisto, the weight of the snow load can be estimated by a simple rule of thumb: Measure the depth of the snow covering on the roof where it is thickest and multiply it by three. The resulting figure is roughly the weight of the snow load in kilos per square metre in late winter conditions (late February until end of March). In midwinter the multiplier is usually closer to two.

If snow needs to be cleared from the roof, proper precautions must be taken to ensure that the work is carried out safely, warns Kuusisto. It is usually advisable to leave the task to maintenance professionals.

MATTI KOSKINEN - HT
LEHTIKUVA - Sari Gustafsson