How to clear snow off the roof?

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  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    How to clear snow off the roof?

    This is the front of my house and now imagine there's snow on the porch roof 30"+ deeper. Looking inside out, the snow is almost up to the middle of the window where the two panes meet.

    Obviously I want to avoid getting on the roof. I was thinking about making a stiff squeegee out of a 1x4 and some plywood braced at the end of it to push the snow off the roof from the bedroom windows. Anyone have any better ideas (that doesn't involved me dying or paying someone else)? I guess the roof can support the weight (no idea) but I want to avoid having all that snow sliding off the roof at once onto someone.



    I made the snow rake and it works well enough. Now I need to shovel the walkway below, though
    Last edited by atgcpaul; 01-24-2016, 12:52 PM.
  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #2
    Atcgpaul, do you have snow stops installed on your roof? A couple of lengths of 1" PVC might be stiff enough to attach a hoe blade on the end and pull the snow off. A lot easier to store than the creation you described.
    I've always wondered about snow stops on roofs. The roofing data sheets say that they hold the snow on the roof until it melts and comes off in small pieces rather than an avalanche. Seems like an avalanche in the flower bed is better than a caved in roof on your sofa. Just my thoughts from a Ga boy that has never experienced enough snow to have a snowball fight!

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    • twistsol
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2002
      • 2893
      • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
      • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

      #3
      I use an Avalanche Snow rake and it actually works as well in real life as it does in the video on their website. http://avalanche-snow.com



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      Chr's
      __________
      An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
      A moral man does it.

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      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #4
        Originally posted by twistsol
        I use an Avalanche Snow rake and it actually works as well in real life as it does in the video on their website. http://avalanche-snow.com
        That snow rake looks a lot more fun than mine!

        I got enough snow off to make me breath easier. Of course, I did block my entryway with the falling snow so even more shoveling.

        I feel bad for my neighbor. He and I had just talked about clearing our roofs and he was motivated so it wouldn't pull off his gutters that he just fixed this summer. After I finished mine,I saw that snow had already pulled off a section.

        I don't have snow stops but this kind of snow is a rare event.

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        • cwsmith
          Veteran Member
          • Dec 2005
          • 2737
          • NY Southern Tier, USA.
          • BT3100-1

          #5
          Not sure how steep that bank is in front of your porch, but can you stand a ladder there? I think your approach from the bedroom windows is a good one, but unless the snow is pretty dry and light, I doubt that you can push the accumulation. So, I think I'd try to pull (rake or otherwise) as much from the front as I could; and then, I'd push from the windows.

          CWS
          Think it Through Before You Do!

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          • atgcpaul
            Veteran Member
            • Aug 2003
            • 4055
            • Maryland
            • Grizzly 1023SLX

            #6
            Originally posted by cwsmith
            Not sure how steep that bank is in front of your porch, but can you stand a ladder there? I think your approach from the bedroom windows is a good one, but unless the snow is pretty dry and light, I doubt that you can push the accumulation. So, I think I'd try to pull (rake or otherwise) as much from the front as I could; and then, I'd push from the windows.

            CWS
            The snow was pretty dry. I managed to clear most of the snow in front of the left 2 windows and then in front of the window on the left porch using my snow rake. I started at the top and pushed it forward. Once I had about 12-18" of depth left, I was able to muscle the rest off all at once. The snow was sticking pretty good to the roof even though it's a metal roof. There's still snow in front of the rightmost window and if I get completely stir crazy, I'll go tackle that one.

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