How Will my Building Handle Winter

We might be a long way away from the winter months, but it’s important to have an understanding of the ways different seasons could affect your steel buildings. While steel buildings are generally resistant to many types of weather conditions, things that fallen snow can put a strain on your buildings that you need to be prepared for.

Snow actually weighs about 15 lbs per cubic foot, so there the more surface area you have across the top of your building, the more weight there will be up there. That’s tons of weight, potentially! You also have to consider ice, particularly in any crevices of punctures in your structure. The expanding of the ice will create even more damage and if the ice has the chance to leak to the inside of the building, it can do some serious damage to your insulation or anything you might have stored inside.

Consider the snow’s density, since snow that’s more wet or even slightly melted is more dense and therefore slightly heavier. This is why it’s extremely important for steel buildings to be built properly from a correctly laid foundation up to a well-installed roof. The roof is where the bulk is this weight will have an impact, so making sure that aspect is installed as per the instructions is imperative. You also need to consider snow distribution, since wind can also blow the snow around from place to place, particularly if you’re in a city that has a lot of wind in the colder months. You’d be surprised how far snow and ice can travel in wind! Consider just how much snow will accumulate and build up on your roof at any given time, especially after a particularly heavy snowfall.

Consider The Building’s Location

Where you put your steel building will have a heavy impact on the winds, snow drifts and other elements that will affect it most often. The snow drifts can add stress to certain parts of a building like the roof, or form in front of doors and windows which will block entrances and exits and create a hazard. Depending on the direction that the building is facing, that will also determine how much snow it sees most often, and the other elements that might impact the building; and how hard this impact will be.

Focus On The Building’s Roof

The building’s roof is the most important part of the structure, and thanks to easy and quick construction it can be perfected in a matter of days instead of weeks or months. Buildings that have tons of different architectural features have more places and opportunities to have moisture and ice build up in crevices and cracks.

For any questions or concerns about our steel buildings, call us today at 1-877- 363-5726