Roof shoveling...yes or no?

[Bruuuce]

An update: in the end I decided not to shovel and had no issues at all, even with the 300 or so inches we got at my house. I've noticed a trend in our neighborhood. A new neighbor moves in and diligently shovels the roof for a year or two and then stops. Nobody that has lived in the neighborhood for more than three years shoveled. The only thing I did rake was a small shed that's in poor condition. I figured the weight was probably a bit much since it's 5% lean could be a problem.

Thanks everyone for the info and links. It made the decision easier.

 

[CalG]

Since this is a high snow year here in Steamboat I have been thinking about my roof. I did shovel it off a couple of years ago, but not last year. I've been looking at online opinions, but they seem mixed at best and there is no clear consensus on whether or not it is a good idea. Some say it more damaging to walk on it; some say it is needed.

So...have any of you ever had issues with snow load? Have any of you had damage? Do you shovel yours? I don't mind doing it is necessary, but hate to spend the time and effort if it isn't.

https://www.inforum.com/news/988526...apses-with-more-than-60-vehicles-boats-inside

Hometown USA ;-)

Next week it will be flooding.

 

[Doug Briggs]

About the same time as @skix post about the folks in CB caught in roof avalanches, I had two neighbor using roof rakes to clear their roofs.

One of them also cleared my garage roof (he had borrowed my roof rake so he was 'returning the favor.) He got a bit of the roof cleared when it released. It is a 12 pitch roof and had about 3 - 4 feet of snow on it. He moved out of the way and had quite a time clearing his parking lot where the snow landed.

A day or two later, my back door neighbor was clearing snow off his neighbor's roof (as a favor, again) and the roof slid. He stumbled back dropping the rake and it got mangled. Fortunately my neighbor did not.

So in addition to the danger of falling off roofs and ladders, we have the added risk of being caught under a roof avalanche. Be careful folks.

 

[CalG]

roof-alanche!

 

[crgildart]

I'd think a lot of walking around on the shingles can rattle them loose resulting in leaks developing. Better than dying under a couple thousand pounds of wet snow caving in on you though. I clear snow off the roof of the flatter sheds when it gets up around a foot deep. Old roof, just like Scott described can probably handle a couple feet, know it's handled about 30 inches once. FWIW, the speculation on walking around causing the shingle adhesive problems is based on experience.. Went up to patch up loose shingles from Hurricane Matthew and another leak developed under loose shingles just below the area I was working on.. Same thing happened again after Florence leak. We're going on 20 years so getting close to time to just go with a new roof again. But, until then tread with great care!!!

 

[CalG]

Don't get up on the roof,

https://avalanche-snow.com/

 

[scott43]

And after I ran my mouth about how this is very infrequent...the roof collapses on my cousin's marina..

 

[dbostedo]

Don't get up on the roof,

https://avalanche-snow.com/

Neat looking product compared to a snow rake. I wonder if it works as well as the video makes it look?

 

[crgildart]

Neat looking product compared to a snow rake. I wonder if it works as well as the video makes it look?

Ima gonna use mortars if my roof needs clearing..

 

[dbostedo]

Ima gonna use mortars if my roof needs clearing..

Well... as long as you need a new roof anyway.

 

[Bruuuce]

Neat looking product compared to a snow rake. I wonder if it works as well as the video makes it look?

My experience is that they rarely do. I have one that is similar and it is never that easy...

 

[Doug Briggs]

Neat looking product compared to a snow rake. I wonder if it works as well as the video makes it look?

I wonder how it works with snow that hasn't just fallen. I get a lot of crust and ice as part of the snow on my roof. I guess that's why they sell rakes; a backup for when the Avalanche! system won't cut it.

 

[Wilhelmson]

An update: in the end I decided not to shovel and had no issues at all, even with the 300 or so inches we got at my house. I've noticed a trend in our neighborhood. A new neighbor moves in and diligently shovels the roof for a year or two and then stops. Nobody that has lived in the neighborhood for more than three years shoveled. The only thing I did rake was a small shed that's in poor condition. I figured the weight was probably a bit much since it's 5% lean could be a problem.

Thanks everyone for the info and links. It made the decision easier.

That's how it usually goes, hopefully people keep mowing their lawn.

 

[Jerez]

Live in the land of flat roofs. Pitched roofs not allowed in our neighborhood. (in the mountains no less, talk about stupid!) Does make shoveling easier though.

We shoveled the first few years but man that was rough. So we ended up with roof tapes. Stops Ice dams at the canales. if ice builds up, and house is warmer than outside (hope it is) then capillary action can cause insidious roof leaks, even without super amounts of snow, just cold nights. Running them is expensive, but cheaper than leaks and we've had our share. Tried the kind that's on a thermostat, but it did not work well, now have them on interior switches so we can turn on and off as needed.

 

[Tony]

I tried to get my 28 year-old nephew to shovel the roof on my family's cabin in So. Tahoe when he was there for the end of February and beginning of March. In many recent years, there hasn't been much snow near CA/NV Stateline as it's E of the Sierra crest and not much higher than 6225' lake. This year, 2017 and 2011 were exceptions when it did get a lot of snow and some of it was shoveled from roof. My nephew said he couldn't figure out how to get on the roof, but probably he and his friends were tired from shoveling the nearly 40' long driveway. The cabin was originally built in the 1940s and a cousin installed cables and plates connecting the exterior walls to prevent snow-load from collapsing the cabin. A couple of additions were done before cabin came into the family in the early 1960s and a major addition was done about 1993 which I'm sure strengthened the rear of the cabin, but also added a large low-angle roof that does not shed snow well and includes a couple of skylights over two windowless bathrooms that are very dark if skylights are snow-covered. We've also experienced very minor leaking that contractor said probably was coming from skylights and not showing until it ran down and found a sheetrock seam in bedroom.
If my nephew had shoveled, he would have had mostly light snow that could have easily been pushed off the roof. I had 2 1/2 to 3+ feet of saturated snow to dig through to find the two skylights (probably better me carefully doing it than him breaking one). I removed snow around and especially above the skylights (to left and right of heater vents in center) to hopefully prevents any further leaks from melt/freeze. I also removed snow around the roof edges, hoping that warm sun (although there are a lot of trees shading roof) and temps will melt ice dams that have formed around edges. Besides being heavy on eaves, ice dams can leading to leaks. I'm not sure how you would remove snow from the middle of the roof first as it was a lot of work to throw snow off the roof from skylights lights 5-10' from the edge of roof. Starting in very middle where you are 15-20' from edge would mean moving snow at least twice.

Sorry the roof pictures are not from better angle, but I didn't have my phone while on roof as it needed charging. And after skiing nearly a full day, then moving snow for an hour and a half, I was not going back up the ladder. And note that cabin is not heated when no one is occupying so snowmelt is slow unless temps rise.