Roof Snow Removal

12/16/2020 (Permalink)

Ice Dams are a leading Cause of Property Damage!

Bracing for the impending weather, I went through my own checklist and confirmed all my supplies are in order and readily available. I’ve pulled out all my winter gear and tools: gloves, hats, boots, shovels, salt, and a snow rake. The snow rake is an underused game changer in a homeowner’s home maintenance toolbox. (With limitations, primarily property height.) Snow rakes are used to remove snow from roofs.   If you don’t own one, now is the time to acquire your own.

Removing snow from your roof is an important step in avoiding ice dams which result in a tremendous amount of property damage each year. We’ve seen ice dam insurance claims reach tens of thousands of dollars! So be sure to get that snow off the roof!

When doing so here are some best practice tips to follow:

• Don the proper gear-gripping and undamaged footwear, harnesses when possible, gloves to avoid frostbite
• Do not begin your raking at the top, instead begin with overhangs and then slowly work your way up to, this will avoid snow build up which makes it difficult to remove.
• Do not pull too much snow at once
• Do not use a metal shovel/rake which may damage your roof, use a plastic shovel/rake instead
• Use quality tools- Roof rake should be textured on the blade which will limit the scraping of the roof and thus preventing damage.
• Do not go on a roof when it’s still snowing

If raking and/or shoveling becomes too dangerous, consider hiring a snow removal company. These unexpected costs aren’t ideal but trump risking injury and or property damage. If through all your efforts you are still faced with ice dams, we can help! Season’s greetings!