I am writing to you from my home in Truckee, CA, which is currently nearly buried. We have power and water but I-80 has been shut for days and grocery stores and gas stations are getting depleted without any signs of replenishment. Please send help! Oh wait, help can’t get here. It is officially Snowmageddon 2019.

Ok, so I was being a little dramatic there. But really only a little. I live at “low” elevation in Truckee and we have 6 ft in our yard. The snow is up to the top of my fence, at or above my windows, and we have a tunnel for a walkway. And we haven’t even shoveled the roof yet! If we feel like the time has come to shovel the roof then we will be in a cave. So when do you decide that it is time to shovel that 6 ft+ that is on top of your roof?

Signs it is time to bite the bullet and shovel:

Sticky Doors and Windows:

If you find that your doors and windows which normally operate smoothly are beginning to stick this is a very clear sign that your roof is overloaded. Take the time to open some windows to double check

Cracks in Drywall

Did that crack in the drywall appear overnight? It’s sometimes hard to know if it did or not but if so this is another tell-tale sign to get on up there.

Visibly Stressed Trusses

For those of you who are either a) anxious and don’t have any of the other signs but want to be certain or b) do have the other signs and aren’t convinced enough by those signs. It’s not a ba

d idea to check your trusses but really you would be seeing signs elsewhere so certainly don’t feel like you must. If you are concerned about the integrity of your trusses though go right ahead. Look for any sort of larger that look like they would be from weight on them (keep in mind some cracking on beams and trusses can be from simple settling and twisting) and separation of rafters from each other, from plates, or from the ridge beam. Some things to look for:

*These are examples of what overloaded trusses may look like but are overloaded trusses are not limited to these. Also I am not an either an engineer or and expert nor do I claim to be. If you are concerned about the structural integrity of your home consult an engineer or other expert.

Should I Be Worried About My Roof? 3 Signs It’s Time To Shovel