Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Get the Snow off

As we wait for the rain, we already know the ice will follow. That said, that could mean more problems for roofs already weighed down by snow. I already talked about some tips for protecting your home.
 I cant stress enough about clearing snow off rooftops. “Everything has a weight limit. You really don't know when something could happen. You've got to keep in mind that a lot of the older homes were built with two-by-fours.” All snow considered, it’s ice damming that is actually the bigger concern. It can lead to water leaking into your walls, ceilings and insulation. Removing the snow is part of preventitve maintenance on your home. “Four to five inches at a time, or three inches at a time is fine because then the sun comes out and helps melt it down, but more than three inches at a time doesn't do anyone any help at all,” As long as the snow on your roof isn’t deeper than the head of your shovel, you shouldn't have to climb up onto your roof. I recommend sticking to the edges and in doing so putting your own safety first.
After clearing that few feet of snow from the edges and knocking the icicles down, one nice sunny day should leave you with clear shingles around the edge of your roof and allow the snow to melt up top.
I do not recommend hacking at the ice build up in the gutters, again leaving that to the sun.
A couple of other tips: make sure you have a decent ladder and use a plastic shovel so you don't rip up your shingles.

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