> -----Original Message----- > From: dana tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 7:46 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: East-Coast Roof Things > > I do not know the answer to your question, however I will mention that in > Canada people shovel off their roofs after a heavy snow so the roof won't > collapse. So I am not sure why people would want to keep it on. Is it > possible it was some sort of gutter? I've never been to Boston, so I am > guessing.
You would normally only see the snow guards on high-peaked roofs - you could never get enough snow to collapse them (due to the angle of repose). The snow guards keep the snow and ice from sheeting off of the roof in one huge heavy slide - many of which can easily be large and heavy enough to seriously wound or kill someone. At the very least a heavy slide can often rip gutters from the roof or damage a flatter roof below. I can attest to this - I get hit at least once every few years from the house next door (which has a very high pitched slate roof which dumps its load directly into my driveway). Since all the houses around here are so packed together most of these falls will hit either driveways or sidewalks. The snow guards keep the snow and ice on the roof and let it melt into the gutters at a steady pace. Some are designed not to hold the snow but rather just to ensure that it doesn't freeze into one giant roof-sized sheet. Here's a site that sells them: http://www.alpinesnowguards.com/ For what people in most heavy-snow areas shovel off their roofs (I grew up outside of Buffalo) - but only the low pitched ones. Flat-topped garages, porches, etc. The snow guards make no since there. At least once every few years in Buffalo we'd hear about something big collapsing: a bowling alley, a grocery store, a warehouse, etc - the common wisdom is usually "served 'em right for not getting up there and clearing it off". ;^) Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:196958 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
