Anyone use a snow roof rake?

[Walter Cohen]

I live in NY state and had roof ice dam damage in a past year. Ever since then I've had additional under-eave ventilation vents put in and try to keep parts of my roof clean (to some degree) of winter snow using a long handled shovel. My roofer recommended a roof rake with a telescoping handle system.

Can anyone who has used one of these comment on how well it works, what types/brands are recommended, width of the blade, etc. They all seem to look similar and are constructed the same. The only difference that I can see (on the internet) is that they are of varying widths (blade).

Any assistance / recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks! Walter

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The wider the blade the (choose one) a. faster you get done b. the harder it is to pull.

Yes, they do work and can help prevent ice dams. We use one at work that is about 18". I don't think I'd go too wide as it can get unwieldy.

[Harry K]

Same here. Even light, fluffy snow gets heavy en mass. I used a homebuilt back when to keep my low slope porch roof clean, worked great.

Harry K

[Toller]

I had some damage 2 years ago, so I bought a rake for last year. We only had enough snow to use it once! Well, obviously no damage...

It is a relatively small plastic head. I expect a large head would be too hard to use; but the area I am doing is pretty small. Sorry I can't be more helpful. (but if you are in the Rochester area, I picked up a second identical one at a garage sale...)

[Nathan Zimmerman]

I'm in Amherst, NY (near Buffalo). I bought one two years ago which I used often...it does remove alot of snow (it is hard work) with a handle of about 14 feet long and an 18 inch end that has two small wheels on the bottom to help it move along. I didn't even use it last year.

It's worth having, IMO.

Good luck,

Nathan Zimmerman

[wraporkeep.com]

[marks542004]

rakes are very good for clearing snow and avoiding damage to the shingles .

Some of the rakes are built to clear snow while pushing up the roof, they usually have a plastic sheet to help the snow slide .

Most clear on the downstroke , pulling the snow to the gutter.

Better models have bigger wheels to keep the rake part from rubbing on the roof .

See what your store has , usually about $30 in my area

[hchickpea]

Removing snow buildup is only needed if you have a roof with uncorrected problems. One permanent solution is a 2 to 3 foot wide metal flashing leading up from the eave edge. The roof melt can freeze on it and yet do no damage. Another solution is resistance wire in a zig-zag pattern along the same area. In many houses, increasing the attic insulation is all that is needed.

Under-eave vents may or may not work. The problem usually occurs from snow melt on a dark unvented roof or one that has insufficient attic insulation to keep it cool. A ridge vent or turbines will do a better job of keeping it cool. Once the melt hit the area over the eaves, it is colder, so the melt forms ice. Cooling the eaves by adding vents does little to help, and can even make the problem worse.

Another simple solution can be 3' lengths of 1/2" black painted copper pipe that are spaced avery 3 feet and extend out about a foot over the edge. The sun heats the exposed pipe, and the slight temperature differential melts a channel for runoff. A black copper fin at the end of the pipe can increase the solar heating.

[Ron Peterson]

I have one with several aluminum sections and a flat aluminum rake. It gets hard to handle when all the sections are assembled. (My roof is high on one side of the house.) I have a 45 degree slope on my roof, but several valleys which reduce the ability of the snow to blow off in a storm. Raking has been successful at preventing ice dams. Some years almost everybody needs to use a rake.

[Tracey]

We use one on our home in Vermont. I believe the blade on ours is about 16 or 18" wide. The handle is very long when extended all the way, it reaches from ground level nearly to the peak of the roof. DH says that it is quite a workout if the snow is heavy and wet. I don't know anything about brands, the local hardware store only had one to choose from, so that was what we bought. I think it cost somewhere around $70.

When it is time for a new roof, you might want to consider metal. The part of our home that has a metal roof has no issues with the snow build up (and thus no need for the roof rake on that section of the house), since the snow and ice just slide right off.

[grg2006]

"Walter Cohen" wrote in news:tXy1h.62$ [e-mail]:

The first year I had a roof rake made with a heavy plastic "rake". It worked well with heavy lake effect snows we have. The weak part was the wood. The handle snapped in half.

I then bought a roof rake made of aluminum (even the rake portion). It's a much lighter weight. Been using it for 3 years, now and I like it.

The handles come in parts, you fit together easily and take apart easy for storage.

ugh, I can't find the name of the darned thing! I bought it at the local hardware store (not home depot or the like).

[Matt]

I would recommend one that has rollers on the scraping edge. It prevents damage to the shingles by keeping the scraper just a bit higher than the shingles. We bought ours at a True Value. It's aluminum with two rollers & I think 4 handle sections. Total length is 25' I believe . Very nice.

MOO, Matt

[Stormin Mormon]

Writing from a suburb of Rochester NY. The answer to ice dams is incresed insulation and increased venting. My parents had ice dams every year, until a friend and I blew in some cellulose. Then also put in a vent at each end. Now, the snow lays flat and melts in the spring. Also, Dad doesn't have to empty the cake pans on the floor with a turkey baster several times a day. He's also not up on a ladder, next to the picture window, with a hatchet. Trying to chip a drain channel through the ice dam.

No experience with roof rakes.

[Jakey]

Save your arms, shoulders and neck and get up on the roof with a shovel. You live in serious snow country as I do. The key is to not let the snow build up too deep. It's important to keep the peaks clear first. You don't have to shovel the whole roof. Clear two feet down from the peaks along the ridges. Then clear some diagonal paths to the lower edge of the roof (one shovel width) every 8 to 10 feet. Doesn't look like a picture postcard, but it works. Use plastic edge shovel only. Metal edge will cause too much abrasion of shingles. When plastic shovel wears down, get a new one-they're cheap. It's also a good idea to clear over a bathroom since they make extra heat, especially around the plumbing stack. If you have roof vents part way up (box type) keep those clear. The worst conditions are when you get freezing rain first followed by deep wet snow. It gets heavy and packs down trapping a lot of heat and surface moisture which can back up all the way to the peaks. Powder snow also will start to form a heavier surface layer on the shingles as heat gets trapped. But you can let the powder go for a few days. You have to stay on top of the wet heavy stuff. Never use an axe (I learned that lesson). Better to use a sledge hammer to break thru an ice dam. The ice will fracture from the blunt impact and water will suddenly run out at the fascia boards.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message news:lvP1h.464$ [e-mail]...

[KLS]

So, Jakey, how high is your highest peak? And how do you actually get on your own roof during these periods of major snow?

My roof is easily 30 ft. from the ground. After a snowstorm, I'm honestly not sure I'm willing to haul out the 28 ft. aluminum extension ladder to try to climb up there to do as you suggest.

I do hope you reply because right now, I think you either live in a ranch house or you're insane.

[George]

(From Syracuse) We had an interesting experience with a snow rake. Our house is two stories plus attic - it's quite a reach, and our rake doesn't get all the way to the top. Where it reached, it did a good job, cleared it right down to bare shingles. But, when the snow above that melted, it ran down onto the exposed surface and froze there. So, we had an ice dam half-way up the roof, where there's no starter strip. Oops.

[briz]

).

So,

Personally, And dont take this wrong, But I think you all are crazy! Why live up there in the snow, raking off your roofs, shoveling out the car ect. Jeesh! Move to a warmer state. Turn into a Snow bird whatever, Just get outta the snow. Snow is fun to play in for awhile but the beach is much better!

I grew up in N.Michigan. Dont miss it a bit! have a great day. Im going out fishing!

[Goedjn]

Clearly, houses in upstate new york need steeper roofs and better insulation.

[Bert Hyman]

[e-mail] (Goedjn) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Insulation is not always the answer, since direct heating from the sun can also cause snow melt. If the air temperature is low enough, you'll get re-freeze, especially over night.

We have no problems at all on the north side of our house, and while we don't have ice dams on the south side, we'll sometimes have icecicles hanging from the rain gutters, and the gutters will be frozen solid.

[Goedjn]

Paint the gutters black. I still think steeper roofs would help.