Professionals warn of potential roof collapses, leaks with Wisconsin snow levels

CEDARBURG, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Total Restoration Services said they have had more winter roof work than any time in recent memory because of recent snowfall in southeast Wisconsin.

“We’re not used to having this amount of snow," said owner Jason Stendahl. "We haven’t had this amount of snow in probably ten years.”

That has caused recent problems across the area, from a gas station’s roof collapsing in Racine, to a Mount Pleasant nonprofit school going out of commission.

"The beam had twisted under the weight of the snow and ice, and hit the water main and flooded the building,” Sonnenberg School founder Farrah Sonenberg said.

Similar problems reached Brookfield’s Peggy Borski Friday. She wants to get her cars out of her garage before the roof fully caves in.

“The garage is beyond saving, but I am still trying to find a contractor that could help us stabilizing it enough to get the two vehicles out.”

Total Restoration Services is currently helping The Mexican Firehouse restaurant in Saukville.

The restaurant currently has 15 buckets collecting water, but it could soon get worse.

“Once you have that interior damage, then we’re talking thousands of dollars once you have a leak inside your home,” Stendahl said.

Outside of calling in a professional, you can take precautions by raking snow off your roof and making sure your attic is insulated and ventilated.

Otherwise, the heat can melt the snow on your roof.

“That snow melts and then refreezes at night, and it creates an ice dam,"Stendahl said. "And that ice dam, it only gets bigger, and it starts backing up the roofs."