Tuesday, January 27, 2015

No 2 Snow Facts are alike

As we here in New England are buried deep under heap loads of snow, I thought some snow facts and thoughts are in order.


 No two snow flakes are alike, this to me is a mind boggling fact, the amount of creativity that simply falls down out of the sky amazes me.

Snow loads are measured in PSI (pressure per square inch), if you are from New-England and have not been living under a rock, you know you won't be calling the Patriots any time soon, to build your new roof.

In fact great consideration is taken when building a roof, not only the load is measured, but also the pitch and grade of the roof are measured. That is why in cold climates you'll see pitched roofs verses the flat roofs in warm climates.

Snow is a wonderful heat insulator, it will always stay at 32F (0C), so if the wind chill goes bellow 0 the snow will actually keep your home warmer, that is if it's built with the right detail in mind. (otherwise you get in to Ice-Dam issues). In fact many gardeners like having snow over the ground, because it keeps the ground from actually freezing, and this protects the seeds.

Snow also acts as a great sound insulator, the streets are quite not only because of travel bans, but also because of the air that each snow flake creates a great sound barrier, similar to foam.


Snow is simply beautiful, my mind is forever challenged by the masses of white that cover yard furniture, stairs, and everyday things we just take for granted. The snow transforms them in such a way that inspire me as a designer to re-think the world around me.


Stay warm!









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