Raking Snow From Your Roof

[SkunkedAgain]

Now that they're predicting a "blizzard" for this weekend, it got me to thinking again about roof rakes. Do you really need to do this? I understand that roofs are designed for 40lbs psf of snow weight and all that, but unless we get a whole carp load of wet, heavy snow it doesn't seem worth it. I've never done it at any house that I've lived in before. Any reason to do it now besides peace of mind?

I've got a one level rambler so the roof isn't all that steep, but it ain't flat!

[Sprinter]

It helps to reduce the formation of ice dam's that can cause shingle damage and water seepage in between the walls. Dam's can cause serious damage to your house and cost you a ton of cash.

[HawgMan]

I got one of these last year & now it's a breeze.

[spearchucker]

It helps to reduce the formation of ice dam's that can cause shingle damage and water seepage in between the walls. Dam's can cause serious damage to your house and cost you a ton of cash.

You are correct but the real problem here is attic ventilation.

[pike doctor]

Please rake your roof off and do some damage to it so you can call me to come and replace it for you in the spring.

Yes they can take weight, but it surely isnt good for them. And yes, the proper roof ventilation will help stop ice darns more than anything. Its not a bad idead to rake of edge of your roof so that dams cant even get started.

If you are interested there is a product called the minnsnowta roof razor. It is supposed to be the best. They have a HSOforum and demostation. Way to many people get hurt from climbing up there with a shovel.

[paceman]

I take my snow off at least once every winter. It depends on the moisture content of the snow but once it get to be about 18" or more I climb up there and shovel-push it off. My rambler roof is pretty flat. It really isn't that hard to do, doesn't take that long. It almost takes longer to move the heavy compacted piles on the ground after falling of the roof. Man that snow becomes really hard really fast.......

[Tom7227]

If you are interested there is a product called the minnsnowta roof razor. It is supposed to be the best. They have a HSOforum and demostation. Way to many people get hurt from climbing up there with a shovel.

I just checked their HSOforum. I'm not so sure that I would want that blast of snow that seems to happen every time they pull a pile off the roof. I have a rake without the chute and it seems to work just fine. Only problem is that sometimes the stuff piles up in places were I really don't want it, but that seems better than a face full.

[BobT]

Quote:

It almost takes longer to move the heavy compacted piles on the ground after falling of the roof. Man that snow becomes really hard really fast.......

I suppose it would get compacted after you fall off the roof.

Sorry but I just couldn't let this one get by.

[Surface Tension]

There used to be a rake called "Avalanche" that is much like the Razor. It was called Avalanche for a reason. LOL.

Unless your roof is not structurally up to the load or you get ice dams I'd not worry about the snow.

Of coarse we could get one of these freak storms with 10' of snow.

If you have trusses I wouldn't worry too much.

When you get into rafters from long ago sometimes you find that they skimped. Could be the dimensional lumber or collar ties not up to snuff.

In summer and you notice:

If you have rafters and you look at your peak and there is a sag then maybe you want to shovel.

Or if that sag is in the field you might want to shovel. Still that roof has seen a lot and has stood the test of time.

Whenever you get on that roof your doing damage to the singles.

If you have ice dams, at some point you should fix that.

Soffit vents and roof vents are a start. Have a look in the attic for adding insulation.

If you have rafters and knee walls on your top floor there isn't a whole lot you can do.

You can add insulation inside that knee wall but that might make the dam up higher.

Heat tape made for roofs along the eves will thaw channels for the water to run after dams have started and it works.

[BobT]

I keep two sections of roof shoveled mostly because the melting snow drips onto our entryways and builds up ice. I don't use a shovel though. I bought a 16' aluminum roof rake with rollers that prevent the blade from contacting the shingles. It leaves only about a 1/2" layer of snow on the roof, which the sun melts quite rapidly on the south side, hence the dripping on the deck. To see an example of my rake search for Garelick 89421.

[Steve Foss]

With a little practice, it's not hard to stay out of the way. I use the Minnsnowta Roof Razor a lot in the handyman business, and have never found anything nearly as effective.

In the interests of full disclosure, they are made here in Ely, and I've built scores of them and shipped hundreds more for the company as an occasional part-time employee. So you may think I'm shilling for the company. But I do know how well they're designed and made, and how well they work up on the roof.

[Chad Peterson]

Regardless if your roof can handle any weight, I highly recommend one to keep the channels and edges clean to prevent problems. My last house, I had the shingles removed and they found 2 areas with moisture in the channels. Granted,house are built better.........maybe, I would rake off the snow to keep your roof clear.IMO!

Sniffer

[delcecchi]

I thought a major cause of ice dams was warm air infiltrating into the attic. Comes from things like light fixtures and other stuff that would allow air to leak into the the attic from the warm living space.

[pike doctor]

I thought a major cause of ice dams was warm air infiltrating into the attic. Comes from things like light fixtures and other stuff that would allow air to leak into the the attic from the warm living space.

Yes warm air going into the attic is part of the problem. In a proper roof system you have the soffitt adequately vented. Cold air comes into the soffitt and pushes the warm air out of your roof vents. You need enough insulation to prevent the warm air from escaping the house. Here are some of the most common problems I find when reroofing for people.

1. There is not enough vents in the roof or the soffit and air flow is poor

2. The roof vents are plugged with bird nest

3. The builder was lazy and didnt cut the holes for the roof vents, but put vents on anyway

4. The soffit is plugged with insulation cause there arent any air shoots

5. There is not enough insulation, or in the case of a house I did in Champlin there was NO insullation.

6. Duct work for bath and kitchen vents is disconnected blowing the warm air into the attic

7. Some roofs that rely on turbins have the moving parts on the turbin go out and it fails to spin anymore

8. And some times there will be electical vents that go out, and the homeowner doesnt even know.

[delcecchi]

I find that when there is a couple feet of snow on the roof it doesn't take hardly any heat to start melting at the bottom. Water runs down to the edge and freezes.

I have plenty of insulation, those chutes, a bunch of vents and still get some ice. It hasn't been a problem for the last few years, but looks like this year could be the test.

[pike doctor]

Do you have aluminum soffit or is it wood? Do you have rafters with birdsmouth cut or do you have trusses? Usually there isnt a lot of clearance near the top plate and where the roof assembly meets the wall. Usually not a lot of insulation there. Most newer homes have trusses manufactured with an energy heel so more insulation can be placed lower.

If the air isnt getting in through your soffit it doesnt matter how much venting is on top. Usually I ridge vent the top now. 2" on each side of the peak the length of the roof. If I use vents I put one in for every 2.5sq and thats with a well vented soffit. Much more if there is no soffit venting.

[CAMAN]

I guess the boys at the Metrodome should have taken some of your advice! Do they make a Minnsnowta Roof Razor large enough for the dome?

[hayseed]

My home is a house from the fifties, with at least two additions and I've had a bugger of a time getting proper ventilation so I get ice dams every winter. I've used the old aluminum cheapo for many years and replaced the shingles twice because of the damage they cause. This year bought a model from Menard's made by Suncast. Made in the US and built really well. I've used it twice and it really works well. Snow doesn't stick to this model either. I've used it on steel roof and fiberglass shingle with no detectable damage. No dodging snow either.

[delcecchi]

Do you have aluminum soffit or is it wood? Do you have rafters with birdsmouth cut or do you have trusses? Usually there isnt a lot of clearance near the top plate and where the roof assembly meets the wall. Usually not a lot of insulation there. Most newer homes have trusses manufactured with an energy heel so more insulation can be placed lower.

If the air isnt getting in through your soffit it doesnt matter how much venting is on top. Usually I ridge vent the top now. 2" on each side of the peak the length of the roof. If I use vents I put one in for every 2.5sq and thats with a well vented soffit. Much more if there is no soffit venting.

Rafters. Some sort of hardboard soffits with aluminum vents every so often. House built in 1959. 1400 sq foot house and like 6 or 8 vents (can't see them today).

Just out of curiosity, what stops heat that goes into the wall from going up into the attic? Insulation/vapor barrier? Or is there something special done?

[Wanderer]

FWIW, I opted to shovel off the 30 inches that drifted on the lee side of my roof today. All my vents except the furnace stack were covered so I was glad to get that done.

The biggest deal was the vent for the range hood. With it totally buried, there was getting to be a pretty good chunk of ice building up between it and the edge with all the cooking going on this weekend.

I just got a new roof this year and the range vent was a bad spot that needed a new sheet before being shingled. I've grown kind of sesitive to the condition of my roof after seeing what the old one looked like for being 20 years old.

[Surface Tension]

"Just out of curiosity, what stops heat that goes into the wall from going up into the attic? Insulation/vapor barrier? Or is there something special done?"

A top plate but looking at the year your house was built you could be balloon framed=no top plate and studs run to the rake on the gable ends. Still if you have insulation in your attic there shouldn't be a straight shot from the walls to the attic.

[shizzy]

I own a 1930 Tudor home and due to the style of house I have no overhang at all on all sides. the roof stops flush with the side walls. the only thing past the exterior walls are my gutters. I have counted a dozen vents, a large one (1' x 3-4' on the side wall) and a turbine. I understand the airflow from the soffits concept, but I dont have any. some of the vents are lower on the roof and I did notice insulation right up to the ends of the attic. Am I good to go?

this is my first winter in this house and Im a first time homeowner. also, this is a two story house with a steep roof so I doubt there will be any roof raking in my future.

[Steve Foss]

also, this is a two story house with a steep roof so I doubt there will be any roof raking in my future.

I can't speak to your insulation/venting, but I've used the Roof Razor on several homes like yours with excellent results. On a 2-story home, a steeper roof is actually better for that type of snow removal.

[pike doctor]

I dont know how big your roof is, but the building code requires 1 sq ft of vent for every 150 sq ft of roof when no soffit venting is provided. If your roof is 1800 sq feet then you should have 12 roof vents. I am not a fan of the gable vents or roof turbins. Make sure that gable vent has screen over it. Bats love to fly into your attic through them.

and to Delechicci(sp?)

You dont have enough air flowing into your attic. The little aluminum vents like to get plugged with dust and insulation and dead bugs, etc. I would look at adding more if you are having problems. If you get aluminum soffit and fascia I would think you could get it done for 12-20 per lineal ft. depending on the job and material type.

[MinnesotaMike]

Couple years back I was getting serious ice darns, I read on here that it is caused by the roof vent being covered ( snow )

I hiked up to the roof and uncovered all of the vents, the ice darns went away.

Sunday I was on the roof uncovering the roof vents and you would be suprised how quick the ice was forming.

I had about 18" of snow on the roof with 24" at the ridge ( drift )

I racked what I could from the ground but I will be on the roof clearing ALL of it.

Mike