For a country with such severe winters as in Russia, snow removal from roofs, especially in densely populated cities, high-rise building areas, is a vital issue. What is fraught with neglect of timely cleaning, how to properly organize this process, and what are the possible "pitfalls" - later in the article.
The accumulated snow masses on the roof can lead to sad consequences for the owner of the building and the surrounding environment.
It can be:
- Damage to the roof (the weight of 1 square meter of snow carpet can reach 100, 200 or even more kilograms). Rafters can not withstand such a weight, sheet materials can bend and open access to moisture inside the roof. After the water freezes, the gap will increase. Such a cyclical process can bring the roof out of action in one season.
- Since the bottom layer of snow is constantly heated by the roofing material and melts, frost forms on the roof. Some of the water ends up in the drains, and after freezing, it clogs them, which leads to the formation of huge icicles, and can disable the storm sewer system
- Even on roofs equipped with snow guards, with untimely cleaning, a sudden avalanche of snow and ice cover is possible. It is able to tear off the roofing material, damage the equipment below, people, communications and plants.
- On roofs with several tiers, especially on structures such as metal tile roof, the fall of a large mass of dense snow can damage the roofing and other structures of the lower level
As a rule, snow removal from roofs is regulated by various municipal regulations, which provide for the procedure for performing these works, as well as the responsibility of building owners and operating organizations.
As a basic document regarding the organization of the process, the Standard Instruction on Safety in the Maintenance and Repair of Buildings and Structures of the USSR Ministry of Health dated October 14, 1985 N 06-14 / 19 was adopted. Its second part is completely devoted to the work of cleaning roofs from snow.
In management companies that have residential buildings on their balance sheet, as a rule, snow removal work is carried out by janitors and other workers who have undergone special training and are fit for this for health reasons.
Owners of private houses have to choose - to clean the roofs, even such as soft non-standard roof on their own, or use the services of specialized organizations, usually working in the field of industrial mountaineering.
Sometimes the same problem arises for residents of the last floors of apartment buildings - when the housing office is in no hurry to fulfill its duties, and there is a danger of leaking or pushing through the roof, ice prevents.
ADVICE! When cleaning the roof yourself, do not use a metal tool to dump snow. To break a thick layer of ice, there are special scrapers, in the form of a metal plate on the handle. The plate must not be sharpened and its direct contact with the roofing material is prohibited!
In general, the composition of the tool needed for snow removal is as follows:
- Wooden or plastic shovel
- Scraper
- "Spreading" - a two-handed wide wooden or plastic shovel
- Mounting belt
- Safety rope
- Portable ladders (ladders) with a width of at least 30 cm, with hooks for hooking on the ridge (for roofs with a slope of more than 20%, or wet - with any slope)
- Barrier tape, portable bars or shields with red and white stripes (on the ground, blocking access to the snow dump)
All shovels must have a handle, since it is not easy to hold an icy handle. It is also advisable to tie them to the belt with a short piece of rope, which will allow free use of both hands if necessary.
The safety rope must have a secure attachment point, has been pre-tested with a pull force of at least 200 kg, and is attached to the mounting belt only from behind.
The protective tape is installed at the following distance from the roof overhang:
- With a building height of up to 20 m - 6 m
- At a height of 20-40 m–10 m
- At a height of more than 40 m - increases proportionally
However, safety measures before starting work, when snow is removed from the roof, are not limited to installing the tape.
When working in areas with heavy traffic of cars and people, the following activities are also carried out:
- An attendant in an orange vest is posted near the fence with a whistle to warn pedestrians and drivers of danger, and a walkie-talkie or mobile phones to communicate with workers on the roof
- Measures are being taken to clear the danger zone from standing cars
- The doors of the entrances facing the discharge side are closed. If this cannot be done, a temporary canopy is installed in such places, and a duty officer is also located inside the entrance.
The places where the discharge is carried out when the roofs are cleared of snow are also regulated. It is prohibited:
- For wires of any purpose
- to the buildings below
- On trees and shrubs
- Where there are protrusions or attachments on the wall (such as outdoor air conditioner units)
Important information! Any obstacles that obstruct the vertical direction of snow fall can be damaged as a result, as well as unpredictably change the flight path of large pieces.
Clothing should not hinder movement, and be warm enough. Footwear must have non-slip soles, if necessary, special serrated linings are put on it.
Works are carried out only in the daytime, with good visibility, with a wind strength of no more than 6 points. If it is necessary to clean the roof at night, the place of work (on the roof and on the ground) must be well lit. The removal of icicles is carried out with a special hook, without hanging over the edge of the slope.
Important information! On roofs made of galvanized steel, metal tiles, especially with insufficient thermal insulation, a thick layer of ice accumulates by the end of winter. In the process of its formation, the temperature of the ice and the roof is equalized, the ice mixture acquires high adhesiveness (cohesion with the underlying surface). In fact, the ice slightly penetrates the coating material itself. In this case, ice cleaning is prohibited, since the protective layer of metal will almost inevitably be damaged, which will lead to corrosion. Yes, and the sheets themselves can be moved from their place.
In general, the problem is easier to prevent. The accumulation of large masses of snow on the roof can be prevented by laying a large roof slope (from 60 degrees).
However, this will significantly complicate the supporting structures and increase the consumption of coating materials. An alternative option is laying a heating cable on the roof and drainage structures.
But not all coatings allow a heating device, and the operation of such a system is quite expensive. However, which is better: regular snow removal from roofs, or the use of technology to get rid of it - each homeowner decides for himself.
One thing is certain: the problem of precipitation accumulation on the roof will still have to be solved in one way or another, and this must be done correctly.
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