Removing snow off roofs
 

Having spent countless hours removing snow off roofs there are a few things to keep in mind.
First of all Joe the next door neighbor who has no knowledge of construction or roofs can do a lot of damage to a roof if he isn’t careful.
Having seen on the news those who were clearing ice and snow off a roof down in Mass. hacking away with the claw end of a hammer prompted this reminder.
Do not use a hammer especially not the claw end, instead use a rubber mallet. Rubber mallet not a metal sledge hammer.
Use a snow scoop or a plastic shovel without a metal edge on it. The edge can and usually will tear into shingles. While the metal edge on a snow scoop is rounded and blunt.
If you are going to hire someone hire a contractor. Weather it be a builder a painter or whatever, we have experience being up on ladders and roofs and most of us have at least a little knowledge of how to do things without causing further damage.
Hope this helps because you will not no if there is damage till spring and by then whoever you hired could be long gone.

I was cringing when I saw that news segment with the fellow and his hammer.. I think that those folks will be having a lot of shingles replaced come springtime. If I remember correctly, that person with the claw hammer was from O'Lyn Roofing, a big, well known, roofing contractor down here.

Your method might take longer, but has to be much easier on the roof.

Stay safe up there and thanks for the info.

Did you also notice that the people swinging the hammers were from what some call a reputable contractor, I believe the name was O'Lynn Roofing. That said, guess one can not depend on a contractor to do the job right either.<a href="http://www.myemoticons.com/"><img src="http://www.myemoticons.com/images/weather/snowy/snowy-house.gif" border="0" alt="snowy-house" title="snowy-house" /></a>

Is it necessary?
 

When is removing the snow really needed? Modern houses (say, last 30 years) have been built to codes that expect snow loads. Is 3' of snow with high water content really create a risk of failure? Are those risks greater than the risks of removing it (falls, expense, damage to shingles, creating new water dams)? Some of the older homes and outbuildings not built to code may be a different story - but I am just wondering if I should just leave my very high roof alone, since it was built just a few years ago.

Yeah if you think of the gazzilions of houses out there and how many actually collapse from snow load.....I still take some off 'cause I can with a snow rake. I won't climb up anywhere. Nice if you have ranch house. Only rain on the snow makes me nervous.
This powdery stuff not so much. But I still take it off when it gets to about a foot or so deep. Just no sense in risking it I guess. It's like playing the lottery.... You never know when your gonna win....or lose.

I have used a straight clawed hammer to chop away at ice damns for many years with no problems. I just use it on the thick heavy ice near the edge of the roof. The key is to have enough intelligance and common sense to know when your close enough and it's time to stop.

Although I have absolutely no knowledge about O'Lyn (or O'Lynn ?) Roofing, it doesn't seem fair to disparage a business without first hand experience with their work. A public forum hardly seems to be the place to make accusations about someone's livelihood without proof.

Positive suggestions on snow removal are always welcome. The advice of MarkinNH says it all- use common sense and know when to stop. I have used both a sledge hammer and a 2 pound hammer this year to break up the six inch thick ice on a section of my house with rubber roofing. Works for me...

Peter

Agree. We have been clearing a lot of snow and ice dams. We`either use a straight claw hammer or a small hatchet to cut small channels in the ice to relive the water. An inch of ice left on the roof won't hurt anything. We never touch the shingles.

I believe most modern homes with a decent pitch to the roof will take a considerable amount of snow weight without a problem. When you take into account multiple small roofs, lots of intersecting interior walls that all help spread the roof load down to load bearing walls.
The roofs I would be most concerned with are detached garages, flat shed roofs, roofs with a very minimal pitch, car ports etc.
But as was stated. any roof that can easily have some of the weight removed, never hurts to do so.

I have two 10,000 sf metal building in CT with a 3 pitch. The snow on the roof was 3' wet & packed mid last week. I cut out one square feet by 3' high put it in a garbage back and weighed it. 58.9 pounds! The building is designed to CT codes rated for 35 lbs per sqft.
So 20,000 sqft x 60 lbs = 1.2 million lbs.

I spend three days x 10 mens + rented lifts. Building is now cleared. Better safe then sorry.

There have been a number of commercial collapses in CT this past week.

I used to work down at Hanscom Air Force Base. We had 20,000 sq ft Aircraft Hangars. We would actually hoist up snow blowers to the roof. If your at a million lbs I can't imagine what we had on the roofs during some of the storms we had down there. I agree, simple insurance is to get the snow off, if possible.

This is a better method ...
 

Don't need no stinkin' claw hammer .....

Attachment 4603

Exactly! LOL! Great pic. Just don;t go too close to the edge!:eek::D

Truly amazing figures.

I'm sorry but there should be a law against doing that!

Is that a person on the porch just below the snowblower...to the left a little bit?

I reduced the picture to save on band width. To see the head of a person the larger photo shows it better.

I believe your right, it Sure looks like a person sitting in a chair.

We already have too many laws. Do we need a law to protect all fools? I vote for common sense. They are both adults.

I agree with you Zee!

For what reason would we need a law against someone removing snow from their roof?

It was just a figure of speech.

I have two good reasons why I wouldn't do it:

1. Injury to you or someone else.
2. Damage to the roof.

To each there own I guess...I sure wouldn't put it over the internet for the whole world to see.

The Snowblower was still up on the roof as of yesterday, I pass that house everyday. It's hilarious to see that picture posted

Other Than An Occasional Roof Rake...
 

I have relied mostly on Mother Nature's Spring! I think it's still available in the Sears catalog! :) ;) :laugh:


Terry
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Looks life a fairly flat roof and the operator seems to be having no issues handling the snowblower. Set the shoes about 2 inches off the roof and there would be no damage to the shingles.

This is precisely why when you build a house you don't want anything less than a 10 pitch IMO!

Yup, now we have the snowblower police.

There are laws for things like that - Darwin's Law of Natural Selection.

Translation: Do something stupid and you won't survive or reproduce. :D

I think that's a corollary, not a "translation".:rolleye2:

I actually wonder how many people have accidentally reproduced because they did something stupid?:D

:laugh: :laugh:
Umm, I personally know of one. :rolleye2: :D

There is one that they leave up on the roof on the Winnipesaukee River across from the public ramp on Winnisquam. Its up on the covered boat houses, some of those roofs don't look like they are in the best shape.

Am pretty sure I recall seeing that old sno-thro up on the roof at the Belknap Marina, where Lake Winnisquam meets the Winnipesaukee River in the summer time as seen from the state boat launch dock behind Boulia Gourell's lumber.