Roof Rake For Ice Dams

An ice dam prevention products snow rake which is an aluminum scraper mounted at a right angle on a telescoping aluminum pole is the simplest solution for occasional heavy snows.

Roof rake for ice dams.

Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams. To be successful the entire roof must be shoveled. How do i get rid of ice dams. New roofs can support in excess of 40 pounds per square foot.

Shoveling part way up a roof will cause an ice dam to form at the location where the snow was left because the meltwater will freeze when it hits the freezing air. Rake the snow off your roof after a heavy snowfall. The person breaking the ice dam should do so from the vantage point of being on the roof not from the ground where the heavy sheets of ice will fall. If your roof is flat or has a low slope use a roof rake to sweep off the snow.

All overhangs should also be covered. The minimum is typically 2 feet 24 inches or 0 60 m above the vertical projection of the inside of the exterior wall. Ice dams the melting and refreezing of snow can cause ice dams which allow water to become trapped on your roof with nowhere to drain but through your roofing into your home. Snow loading the average weight of 1 foot of compacted snow is 30 pounds.

Our home improvement funds can often be used for this type of work use a roof rake to remove snow at least six feet from the eaves and in any deep valleys. Before ice dams happen. Have a professional steam your ice dams away. See below for a shopp.

It will slowly melt its way down through the dam clearing a path for the underlying water to flow free. Have a professional remove the dam with high pressure steam or other specialized methods. Removal of snow from a roof with a special tool called a roof rake. Make sure your home is well insulated and pay attention to the roof ventilation.

If you pull the snow down it can t melt and form an ice dam. You can scrape snow from the roof whenever it falls using a snow rake from below or a broom or plastic shovel from above. Prevention is the best approach. When it comes to ice dam removal or repairing damage on your roof always consider your personal safety.

In colder regions a good practice is to cover the first 3 feet 36 inches or 0 91 m of roof over heated space with ice and water protector. Fill it with calcium chloride tie off the top and lay it vertically across the ice dam.