GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With rain in the forecast this weekend, Sarah Pastoor at Willis and Jurasek CPA’s and Consultants decided to call up the experts to deal with the foot of snow on their roof.
“They said they’d be out today right away to get the snow removed from the roof,” said Pastoor.
Bill Friberg and his crew from All Gutter Systems are removing snow that’s sure to become a hazard if it’s not dealt with soon.
“Just trying to get it down and work as safe as possible. We are going to clear any vents that are up here on the roof so the added space can breathe and vent properly,” said Friberg.
For Friberg, it’s safety first.
“We got the guys going at diagonals which allows for them to get some footing as they go and then we keep a kind of safety net here, and that keeps us so we don’t slide off the roof,” said Friberg.
Friberg said that the big concern is the weight, which could cause the roof to collapse if it isn’t removed.
“The snow has been getting heavier on the roof because the humidity level is going up. We can tell. When we started today all that light fluffy snow that was two feet deep was a breeze taking it off. This right here, we got about a foot and it’s harder than the two feet we did two hours ago, said Friberg.
Grattan Academy Principal Tom Kreiner said with a flat roof at the high school, it’s crucial that he keeps an eye on the snow levels.
“I’m going to have to try and remove as much snow as possible. I’m definitely am going to make sure our roof drains are free and clear so that the water can drain as it should,” said Kreiner.
Experts say even though it can cost a couple hundred dollars to hire a company to come and remove the snow, that expense is cheaper than to fix a collapsed roof.
