Removing Snow From Roofs

[Marc Martyn]

Just a reminder that in the areas that are being hit hard with a lot of snow, it would be a good idea to get some of it off the roofs. I did mine and a neighbors today. I had 24" on my garage roof which is unheated. 5-8" more in the next 36 hours with heavy accumulations expected on Saturday. In the Spokane area roofs are already starting to collapse. Carports, patio covers and steel sheds are most likely to go first. I heard on the local news that Spokane Roofing was booked out 2 weeks for snow removal. If you can't find a roofing company to do it, try a home building/remodeling company. With the housing market in the toilet, contractors my be doing work like that. These companies know what can damage a roof.
An important thing to remember is do not take all the snow off the roof. Leave about 4-6" on the shingles to cushion them from your feet. Walking on frozen bare shingle will cause them to break easily. Then you have a real problem. Also, don't take the snow off of only one side of the house or garage. An unbalanced load will cause structural damage. If you are pulling the snow off the roof with a roof rack, take the same amount off of all sides.

[A9]

Good tip from someone in the business!

[BassinBomber]

Yes I agree,..great ADVICE Marc!

BB

[swedefish4life1]

Marc thanks for the support!:cheers:
From a lead dog, but what if your patio deck cover and roof is 50 by 30 feet???
I am packing 2 plus feet of wet stuff now and the weight is mayor it was Pro built but I cannot access any of it but the outside edges due to its massive size and I thought pulling off the edges would just add more weight to the middle?
Its barely slopped and has a outside gutter as well .
I thought of getting a massive pole or lumber/timber and drilling out both ends and putting a rope in each end.
Then stick the timber on the inside edge and pulling with 2 guys on each side but that hurt my damaged Brain even more?#-o
Any ideas I am getting more then a bit concerned with freezing rain coming as well to add to the weight and stress of the load :bigsmurf: :brilsmurf
Any ides would be swell my Rod is bent on this load! LOL:colors:

[racfish]

Thats what Homeowners Insurance is about.Hahahaha..New car and boat!!!Under the carport.

[G-Man]

I've used a 1x4 bolted to an extension pole bought at a hardware store to remove snow from ex's mother's houseboat. I've also seen plastic pipe used as a pole, you'll need the stiff stuff for a long handle. With a gentle sloped roof I'd be inclined to toss a rope over the roof, secure it on one side and use it as a safety line. Work the edges and then get up there for the rest of the job. It's not fun but it beats a collapsed roof which may not be covered by your current insurance policy! If you have any doubts about your coverage, call and find out. In many cases you need to be paying for the extra coverage for SSI (snow, sleet, ice) damage.

Be smart and be safe!

[racfish]

Thank you G-man.I just assumed my boat insurance or homeowners covered that.That lil tip was great.Thanks again . I'm calling my insurer now.

[Marc Martyn]

Swede-

You can fashion a roof rake either out of a wood closet pole with a piece of 1/2' plywood (24"x6") bolted to it with a lag screw or by getting a piece of aluminum sheeting the same size and attach it to a piece of electrical conduit pipe. My rake has a handle about 10' long with aluminum and standing on a ladder, I can get quite a ways back up the roof. Try to pull it off evenly as you are doing it. 2' of wet snow on any roof is an awful lot of weight. You need to get it off somehow.

[hewesfisher]

I've got the same problem as Swede, 14' high walls and 22' at the peak. Roof short side is 20' and the long side is 30'. It's a metal building with a 4:12 pitch and I just can't bring myself to climb up there and try to unload the roof. I'm quite certain I'd unload myself at the same time!:cyclopsan

My shop unloaded on its own very well last year, and I'm surprised to see it hang on to the snow this year. Only reason I can come up with is that it is much dryer snow than last year. I do have some heat inside even though it only get to about 36 degrees or so when it's in the teens outside.

I'm going to take a chance on letting nature take its course.

[swedefish4life1]

Thanks lead dogs for your suggestions:cheers: after 6 hours of trying I gave up:colors:
Will pray mother nature braces me one more gift:compress:
Great in the spring and summer but poor design for 20 plus inches of snow, ice and water
Thanks again:bounce: and insurance does not cover my deal#-o so will pray for some luck so far the structure has held.

[Marc Martyn]

Without seeing the building, I would guess that once the temperature gets up above freezing the snow will lose grip on that metal and slide off. Just don't be under it when it does!#-o

[swedefish4life1]

None of it is metal and the pitch is lame:colors:
Gutter system on the leading outside edge.:brilsmurf :bigsmurf:
It is however beefed with the correct timbers but its that goofy colored Fiberglass material after all I am a Swede:colors: lol

[Rich McVey]

A ladder and a rake was all it took. Needed something between the tongs on the rake tho...

[hewesfisher]

No more snow on my shop roof, between the winds and warm temperatures, the entire north side unloaded sometime last night. My brother's Mazda rotary pickup was parked off that side of my shop and I can't see it at all. Now buried under about 7' of snow. I sure hope it didn't get damaged when that snow let go!

[Marc Martyn]

Hopefully if it is gable roof, both sides are clear.

Blew my snow and then 3 neighbors, made a neighbors child pickup run today because neither the parents or grandparents could get out. I then proceeded to remove more snow from my own roof. It would be nice to do something other than deal with the snow while I have a couple of weeks off. So far, every day is busy with the weather.

[Notenough]

staying busy with the removal is even more fun when you only have one snow shovel and and one asphalt shovel and two people sometimes. good thing the kid doesn't mind the heights

[Marc Martyn]

The roof collapsed at the Five Mile Roseaurs in Spokane this afternoon. Fortunately, no one was hurt. My wife was in there this morning. I think that I am going to call ahead to any of the big stores and ask if they have removed their snow. If not, going to one where they have. This is crazy.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/d ... ing-again/