Date: Fri 19-Jan-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

weather-winter-leaks-roof

Full Text:

A Record Winter Begins To Seep Inside

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Drip, drip, drip.

The winter of 1996 is shaping up as the winter of ceiling and wall leaks.

Even homeowners whose roofs are in good shape aren't immune because "ice

dams," the major cause of leaks, are caused by ice-clogged gutters, downspouts

and roof drains. Snow melts on roofs, pools behind these ice dams, backs up

under the shingles and eventually leaks into your house.

It gets worse before it gets better.

Warmer temperatures this week, a respite from last week's single-digit nights,

melted more snow and ice, causing more ceiling damage for many homeowners. And

meterologists are predicting that this winter, which has hardly begun, could

break the record of 80.8 inches of snow that fell in the winter of 1947-48.

One record was broken last Friday when another 4« inches of snow fell across

the region. Before the snow turned to freezing rain, it made this January the

snowiest January on record, according to Bill Jacquemin at the Techni-Weather

Center in Danbury.

The snowfall pushed the month's total to 34.6 inches, breaking the previous

record of 31.6 inches that was set in 1967. The total snowfall so far this

season reached 63.7 inches with the prospect of February, traditionally the

snowiest month, still ahead.

Snow, ice and freezing rain made walking and driving hazardous with many

accidents occurring during the past week.

Fire Marshal George Lockwood and Al Brinley, the town's building official,

also warned that accumulated snow, made heavier by freezing rain, poses a risk

for the owners of buildings that have flat roofs.

"Where there's a flat or low-pitch roof or a shed roof, there's a risk of

collapse," Mr Brinley said. "There's more of a risk if you have a house built

from 1900 to 1970. The building code requires 30-pound per square foot (roof

strength) and if a foot of snow on the roof gets damp, it can easily surpass

that."

Obviously one way to reduce the risk of collapsing roofs and damage from ice

dams is to remove the snow. You may be able to do this yourself, if you are

very careful, but it is very easy to slip on a snow and ice-covered roof, with

potentially disastrous results. A 43-year-old Newtown resident was

hospitalized last week after he fell from his roof while attempting to clear

it. Two years ago, when the region also experienced record snowfalls, another

homeowner fell through a snow-covered skylight.

Ice dams can be chiseled away, if you are careful not to damage shingles and

gutters. It is tedious work.

Firms that install and clean gutters, roofers and other building contractors

often advertise roof and gutter snow and ice removal services. Prices vary.

One gutter firm said it charges $650 to remove ice dams from 40-feet of

gutter. Some contractors quoted a price of $300 per hour.

Mr Brinley said that in Vermont many homeowners install sheets of metal called

"ice slides" which extend three to four feet up the roof. "They aren't

terribly aesthetically pleasing, but they do the job," he said.

Using a de-icing product on ice dams may melt the ice but it also could stain

or discolor wood siding.

The best answer for many homeowners may be to wait for warmer weather and

install electrical roof de-icing devices on the roof, Mr Brinley said.

These products, which are made in tape and cable styles, generally are

available in hardware and electrical supply stores.

Easy Heat Inc, a Farmington company which produces de-icing cable, recommends

that the cable be installed in a zig-zag along the outer edge of the roof and

straight through the gutters and downspouts. Plugged into an outlet, the cable

can be manually turned on when temperatures are in the 38 to 48 degree F

range, or an electronic sensor can be installed to do the job automatically

when it detects a combination of freezing temperatures and moisture.

Another solution used when houses are built, or when they are being reroofed,

is to install an adhesive-backed rubberized polyethelyene menbrane from the

edge of the roof to at least two feet inside the wall line of the building.

This adhesive-backed membrane seals the roof under the shingles, preventing

water from seeping through.

Snow and ice accumulating around buildings also can block air vents and

exhaust ducts to dryers, fuel tanks, furnaces and other appliances. Fuel

delivery companies are recommending that homeowners who have underground oil

tanks uncover the fill pipe so the drivers can find it.

Legislative Council Wednesday night approved the transfer of $50,000 from the

contingency account to the winter maintenance overtime account because the

$80,000 budgeted already has been spent. The town also has spent $96,791 of

the $150,000 budgeted for sand and salt.

Newtown residents who are faced with an icy sidewalk or driveway, are entitled

to pick up a few buckets of sand free for their own use at the highway

department garage on Turkey Hill Road during regular hours. Bring your own

containers - no contractors or pickup truck loads.