Shovelers on the roof are in demand

SAUGUS – With the high snowfall amounts and a winter mixture of moisture forecast for this weekend, contractors have been scrambling to remove the snow from roofs before they start leaking or, worse, collapsing from the weight of the snow and water.John Spagnoli, of APEX Carpentry in Swampscott, has kept seven subcontractors busy all day, every day for the past two weeks.They worked on 50 houses last week and 25 this week, and expect an increase in business this weekend.?Since we?re full, we?re mostly doing clients and friends of ours,” Spagnoli said. “We?ve never, ever been this busy in 25 years.”He and his crew worked on a Lynnfield home with a slightly pitched – or slanted – roof piled 4 feet high with snow that took three men six hours.?A slightly pitched roof is more dangerous and goes a little slower,” Spagnoli said. “But flat roofs have more snow on it.”For Max Sontz Roofing Services in Lynn, business is fairly steady. It began with a mall roof that collapsed Feb. 2 in Marblehead and has become substantially busy since.?We usually do 10 snow roof removals this time of year, but we?ve gotten into 50 and upwards,” said owner and president Brad Sontz. “It?s a legitimate panic for homeowners and businesses alike, especially when roofs fall down due to being neglected. Seventy to 100 roofs have fallen down in the state. One collapse is a lot to me.”Sontz said his building inspector reports that 24 inches of snow is equal to 14 to 15 pounds of roofing per square foot. If the weight exceeds the building design mode, that?s when there is a potential for catastrophic structural failure.Not only could the roof collapse, but it could create ice dams.?They?re usually caused by people not having the right installation,” said Spagnoli. “When snow freezes on roofs, water drips through the ceiling and causes damage to the plaster and paint.”Spagnoli said the snow/ice storm will pile on more ice on roofs this weekend.Sontz compared the snow layers on roofs to a cake, where the first layer is warm and moist; the second layer is more firm, and the frosting is on top.?The rain is like a big sponge on a flat roof, where it absorbs the snow,” Sontz said. “Because it?s light, it?s thankfully easier to handle and remove.”Other communities are preparing for icy conditions, too.The Saugus town manager?s office released a statement Friday regarding heavy rain preparation this weekend.?Due to the imminent winter weather approaching, the town of Saugus is requesting assistance from residents by removing snow and ice from catch basins and other drainage infrastructure,” Chief Administrative Aide to the Town Manager Susan Dunn wrote.