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This letter is in response to David Hawke's February 24 column, "Should we be worried about the snow on our roof?"
I regularly enjoy reading Mr. Hawke's whimsical columns on nature. However, Monday's column irked me somewhat.
Mr. Hawke addresses the serious issue of snow accumulation on our roofs, warning that we have reason to be concerned this year.
Mr. Hawke offers a childhood anecdote about how his grandfather tricked him into saying that a pound of coal weighs more than a pound of feathers. Presumably, this was meant to illustrate that wet/heavy versus light/fluffy snow is all a concern on our roofs, when measured pound for pound.
Mr. Hawke suggests that this year, we have reason to be worried about the weight of snow on our roofs, yet he offers no practical tips or solutions for how homeowners can approach this situation.
He suggests that "If you are seriously worried about the snow load on your roof, be sure to check out the many websites that provide all sorts of charts and graphs about snow load and roof support. I’m not sure if your insurance company will consider your research ‘due diligence’ but at least you will have a whole new appreciation for building codes."
With respect, this is not helpful. Mr. Hawke did not provide any references to actual resources, nor did he address how this situation could be approached by concerned homeowners.
Mr. Hawke does not mention some of the obvious and usual techniques for snow removal from roofs, such as professional removal or by using a roof rake. (It should be noted that some of these methods may not be practical, such as for metal roofs or for inaccessible areas.)
When I clicked on this article, I was hoping for some insight into my own predicament given the extreme volume of snow on my metal roof this year. I have a colleague who faced a partial roof collapse about a week ago. Thankfully, he and his family were uninjured.
As your own website published, just a few days ago on Feb. 21, a 55-year-old man died in Glen Huron after a roof collapse.
I would encourage Mr. Hawke, before putting pen to paper, to think about what he is writing and whether the messaging is helpful and appropriate for your readership.
"Warning" homeowners without providing appropriate support is just insensitive, whether it is intended that way or not.
Randall Douglas
Grey Highlands
