This past year I gutted and renovated a row house in Alexandria. I have done many renovations before, mostly in New England and Florida, and was shocked to see how the roofs were supported on these units. I am sure when the contractors were building them, 60+ years ago, they never expected El Nino to contribute so much snow to this area. Heck, El Nino hadn’t emigrated yet.
On most row houses and town houses in this area the top floor ceiling joists run from side to side. In most cases this span is 16 to 20 feet without load-bearing walls to support them. If the roof deck, usually 1 x 6 planking, was fastened directly on these 2 x 10 ceiling joists I wouldn’t be as concerned. Caveat -this would not be the ideal way to install a roof for myriad reasons, but it would be provide more support than the existing design. Just the thought of this would give structural engineers and building code officials nightmares for weeks.
At the front, rear and middle of the building there are double and in some cases triple joists (beams) running from side to side of the structure. They sit just a little higher than the ceiling joists; more in the front than in the back to create a pitch for water runoff. Long 2 x 6 boards sit on these THREE beams and run from the front to the back of the structure. The area between the end and middle beams in many cases is 12 to 14 feet and has no additional support. If you were to walk on the roof you would most likely notice it bounces. A great deal of weight, from the type and amount of snow we have, could cause the roof to cave in. So, removing the accumulated snow as soon as possible is probably a good idea.
On Sunday I joined family and friends on their row houses to remove snow. Those who could get up on the roof helped to shovel the snow off ALL seven units attached to that building – the neighborly thing to do. And those who were unable to climb the ladder supported us by providing the ladder, PLASTIC shovels, encouragement and beverages after. Plastic shovels are a must when shoveling snow on a flat roof because so many of the roof coverings are old and could easily tear. In fact shoveling down to about 1 inch would be a good rule of thumb.
So go out and organize a roof shoveling party but be careful to stay away from the edge so you don’t fall. Although I suppose you could hire someone to do it while you supervise with a cup of hot chocolate.
