We got a taste of snow already here in Oakland County, Michigan last week. It was a wake up call that winter is coming and with it snow, shoveling, and slippery sidewalks. Our roofers have installed a lot of new roofs recently and we’d like to see those roofs last. One way that you can help your roof is to clear the snow off of it in the winter. The extra weight isn’t good for your roof, whether you have a new or old roof. You can try heating cables. These have to be professionally installed, but once they are you just turn them on and the snow will melt into your gutters. Heating cables can be trouble though. The wires are thinly insulated and allow water to get in the wires which is a possibly fire hazard. You also have to clear your gutters and spend a good amount of cash. The better solution is to manually remove the snow from your roof. You can do this with a snow rake which you should be able to find at any hardware store here in Michigan.
Here are some simple steps below.
1. Build A Path Around Your Home
First, you’ll want to make a path around your home that you can walk on. You don’t have to shovel to do this. All you have to do is walk around the house tramping down snow. You’ll want to be able to walk around while you’re raking without falling into holes. So, stamp down and pack the snow good with your boots so that you can walk around no problem. As you walk around creating a path, you may step into a hole. Fill the hole with snow until it’s level with your path.
2. Start Raking
The next step is to simply begin raking the snow off of your roof. You don’t have to get it all. You just want to relieve some of the weight off of your roof. It’s actually good to leave the bottom layer of snow on the roof to protect the shingles from your snow rake. Also, while raking it off, do a little bit at a time. Any snow around the driveway is going to have to be shoveled, so don’t take on too much. The snow doesn’t have to come off at once so consider making this a week long job and take it a section at a time. And that’s it. We at Martino Home Improvements, encourage you to rake the snow off of your roof after accumulations of a foot or more. But remember to take your time. Your roof won’t cave in from one storm, but from the buildup of many snow storms.
If you notice your roof has any damage or isn’t handling well this winter, give our roofing company a call. We can come out and give you a free estimate. And yes, we can fix roofs in the winter!
