Is Ice Safe for Metal Roofs?

If you are considering upgrading to a metal roof, naturally, you most likely have several questions and concerns. One of these may be whether ice is safe for metal roofs or not. This is a question we commonly hear.

You’ll be pleased to hear that typically, ice is safe for metal roofs. However, this does depend on the design of the roof itself, including whether or not it is on a slope. Nonetheless, the remainder of this blog post will address this question further, allowing you to make the right decision and to help you choose the best roofing material for your property.

The ice may melt and damage roofing components

While ice is generally safe for metal roofs, when it melts, it may leak and refreeze. This can cause several problems, mainly if the ice melts in gutters or around other, perhaps more vulnerable roofing components.

Despite this, so long as you have the proper insulation in your attic, and you keep on top of the ice (if it is particularly bad), then your roof should be absolutely fine.

Sloped metal roofs may cause a bigger issue for ice

As previously mentioned, if your metal roof is on a particularly steep slope, then this may cause various issues. For example, when the ice melts, this causes the water to build up in the gutters. If this is to re-freeze, then this will block the gutters and may cause an internal leak.

If possible, you should avoid steep slopes for metal roofs. And while it is still somewhat safe, we would recommend other roofing materials if possible.

Will ice damage a metal roof?

Your metal roof will more than likely be fine when it comes to ice melting. However, the main issues you should look for are internal leaks within the attic, blocked gutters, and other leaks throughout and around the property.

A regular inspection (two to three times a year) is plenty. But if you have particularly bad weather and ice, then consider more regular inspections to ensure the safety of your metal roof when it comes to ice.

Ice is usually safe for metal roofs

In this article, we have discussed how ice is usually safe for metal roofs. Despite this, you should be warier if you have a sloper roof. But regular inspections should do the trick – so yes, ice is usually not something you usually need to worry about.