It’s finally the winter season in most parts of the country, which means plenty of snowfall. While a winter wonderland can be beautiful to look at, all that snow on your roof can be pretty dangerous. Here are some tips on how to safely remove snow from your roof without risking any severe injuries. If you can’t do it yourself, don’t hesitate to contact a professional Roofing Contractors Indianapolis.
Tools and Supplies That You Will Need:
- Snow shovels
- Rakes with small, plastic, or rubber tips
- A broom
- An ice chopper
- Water hose with an adjustable nozzle
Materials That May Be Helpful to Have on Hand: Plywood, plastic sheeting, tarp, ladder.
Pieces of plywood are helpful when removing snow from roofs that have shallow pitches or are pretty steep. By placing a tarp over the area first and then covering it with the plywood pieces, you create an easy way for homeowners to clear their roofs. The tarp will help keep the snow from sliding off of the roof while you are working, and it will also protect any shrubs or other vegetation below the area where you are working. Place the plywood over the most dangerous areas where you will be working and use it as your footing as you remove the snow.
The ladder you use should be placed accordingly for your safety. Be sure to move or adjust it as you work to prevent it from slipping. Also, be mindful of where nails may have been put in your roof when moving across it; poke them into the surface with a broom handle before placing weight on them to prevent yourself from puncturing any spots in your shingles.
– Use an ice chopper. This tool has a long handle similar to a rake, except its teeth aren’t metal, and its edges are blunt rather than sharp. These make quick work of the snow and ice accumulated on your roof.
– Use a broom. This is used to break up larger ice areas to speed melting, but it’s still helpful overall.
Ice dams form when there is so much weight on the roof that the water can’t flow off freely and backs up behind itself. This causes icicles to form and water damage if not attended to quickly enough! Remember to avoid overloading your roof with too much weight, or you may find yourself in big trouble!
If you do happen to have an ice dam, don’t despair. You can use these same tools as above, but be extra careful around the edge of your roof where ice is already present. This may be more hazardous than the rest of the roof, so exercise caution.
– Use a scraper. This tool will help you get rid of snow and ice that’s already formed without having to risk any damage to your home. If there are just small patches of snow or ice that you can safely remove yourself, feel free to give it a whirl!
– Roof rakes may also be used for this purpose if they fit on your rooftop properly. They’ll do some work for you in sweeping off large swaths at once! However, more advanced tools like this should only be used by professionals who know what they’re doing.
– Use salt or rock salt if there’s ice on your roof. Salt will make it easier for water to come out of any cracks that form when things begin melting again, so this method is ideal for quickly clearing up these kinds of problems.
– Use hot water if necessary. You can melt off most snow with just normal room temperature water, but that isn’t always effective in every case. Using hot water can work where cold water doesn’t – but make sure the water is only hot, not boiling.
If you cannot remove the snow yourself, it might be worth calling a professional roofing company. They’ll have the right equipment to do the job safely and efficiently. For an added fee, they may even be willing to shovel your whole roof for you!
If the roof is in danger of collapsing, call for help immediately rather than trying to do anything yourself.
