Greenwich has seen more than 14" of snowfall in 2015. The Fieldstone Group has been talking about snow removal, snow safety and protecting your home and property from snow damage. We should have listened to our own advice posted on February 2nd.
We now know firsthand that failing to remove snow from flat roofs and not preparing gutters to avoid ice damming can lead to water entering your home. The only silver lining to this unfortunate experience is that we have solutions to share with you.
Flat roofs:
1. Shovel. Really. The surface of flat rooms are often metal or wood, with a membrane underneath. If that membrane has a tear, and a large amount of snow is sitting, melting a bit, then sitting, there is a possibility that it can find it's way through a seam into the ceiling of your home. If water is coming into your home, put heavy contractor grade plastic over the flat roof until the problem can be looked at properly in warmer weather.
2. Gutter Damming. Snow melts, gutters back up, and soon there is no way for water to wash off the roof. As the frozen water begins to melt in the gutters it can also find it's way into the house, working down windows and walls. Home Depot in Portchester, ten minutes from Greenwich Avenue, have roof deicing cable kits and roof melt ice. Amazon has a number of heat cables and deicing products.
