(no subject)

[randomness]

I find myself idly wondering what building owners do about ice dams on flat apartment building roofs.

The roof in question is a few stories above me, so it's definitely idle curiosity.

Comments

[doctordidj.livejournal.com]

If it's like mine, it's a rubber roof, theoretically watertight, so you could just leave it there. I shovelled mine off because mine is not as watertight as theory would have it, plus I don't want to test the load limit of the roof.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is definitely Someone Else's Problem. I don't own the building.

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

I suppose it would have to be watertight, or otherwise every rain would bring in leaks. OTOH, some flat-roofed buildings have lots of leaks. (The library at college was one of them. Ugh!)

[fangirl715.livejournal.com]

My mom keeps fussing at me about this; I've tried telling her that (a) so far it seems to be OK *fingers crossed*, and (b) it's 2 more stories above me anyway. Not sure what she thinks I should be doing about it, but...

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

I figure it's Someone Else's Problem, that Someone Else being the building owner. There are four stories of people above me who will be cranky well before me.

[frotz.livejournal.com]

Water leaks are insidious; it's not clear a few stories will save you. (They definitely won't save you from annoyance if it caves in due to snow load!)

The flat roof I deal with most often has heaters to clear snow and ice. The one that I used to deal with, the property managers would have people shovel it off.

A few years ago when we got a few big dumps, I saw more than one warehouse roof with people running snowblowers on them.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

I may be annoyed if the roof caves in but all my valuable stuff is either a) offsite or b) in waterproof plastic containers. (Well, there's also c) backed up elsewhere, but that's data.)

Anyway, as I don't own the building it's Someone Else's Problem. I think any water leak or cave-in will result in immediate complaints from tenants on floors above me. I count four floors above me. And the building's a steel-frame/concrete/brick facade construction of the sort that cme describes as "the 70s shat here".

Besides, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not even allowed onto the roof!

That's why it's all idle curiosity. :)