Perfect Pitch

[Glacier]

I'm no roof expert, but someone said that you should really have a roof pitch steeper than a 5:12 in a snowbelt like where I live (the last snowbank in my yard melted yesterday). Now, Part of my roof is very steep like a 15:12 pitch, and this also bad because the 2 feet of snow and ice kept sliding off, and pushed the gutter off one one side (screw you, gravity). I've been told I should install heat tracing so this does happen.

Anyway, what's the idea roof pitch for asphalt shingles? I notice that a lot of newer houses have pitches under 5:12, but that doesn't sound like a good idea to me, but again, I'm not experienced know for sure. If you get a solid foot of snow and ice on your roof for 3 or 4 months straight every winter, I would think 5:12 is too small based upon what I've been told (by a friend who used to do roofing on the coast), and yet I keep seeing houses with this or less going up in the neighbourhood.

[LANDM]

Virtually every commercial building has a flat roof. Big White buildings have multiple feet of snow one them for months at a time.
It’s all in the engineering.
When the roof trusses are designed, they will take into consideration the snow load and the roof pitch, of course.

[Glacier]

Virtually every commercial building has a flat roof. Big White buildings have multiple feet of snow one them for months at a time.
It’s all in the engineering.
When the roof trusses are designed, they will take into consideration the snow load and the roof pitch, of course.

Yes, I know that, but when you have asphalt shingles, do you have a problem when you have 2 feet of heavy snow on your roof sitting on their damming up and melting all winter long?

[tsayta]

I got 12/12 with a steel roof. No gutters so everything just slides off. Valleys are still a slight problem with build up. Gots to keep the spruce needles clear from time to time. Inside I'm post and beam. 2x10 rafters, thick ridge beams, low spans