Winter is almost here, and you must be thinking about how to get rid of the snow off of your roof. With cold temperatures and precipitation, your roof can absorb snow and water that can deteriorate its conditions. Moreover, the temperature inside also goes down.
Timely removal of the snow from your roof becomes crucial to avoid ice dams and snow pileups. It also helps to keep your roof’s temperature at an optimal level during the winter. Otherwise, the accumulation of snow can cause the temperature to drop to further levels.
You may be thinking about how you can remove snow from your metal roof. How can you reach your rooftop that appears to be dangerously sliding? In this blog we will give you some tips on how you can remove snow from your metal roof in a convenient way.
Calcium Chloride
Calcium chloride causes depression in the freezing point of snow melting the snow. To remove snow from metal roofs, you can put calcium chloride in a jute bag and place it on the roof vertically.
This will melt the snow on the rooftop, making way for the water to flow. You can get your jute bag up on your roof with the help of a rod by hanging the bag at the edge of the rod and then placing it on the roof.
Pour Some Hot Water
This method may be suitable for removing a patch of snow. However, it may not be suitable to remove huge piles of snow from the roof. In this case, you can take a bucket of hot water to the top of your roof and pour it onto the snow. Continue pouring the hot water until the snow is melted.
Be sure to use a well-balanced ladder to reach the top of your roof and ask your friend or a family member to hold the ladder from the bottom.
Use Heat Cables
Heat cables, also known as deicing cables, can remove snow from metal roofs. Deicing cables are self-regulating wires used to melt the snow so that the water flows after melting.
Because most snow piles up near the roofs’ edges, it is better to install these heating cables at the edge of your roof. Reach the top of the roof and set the cables in a zigzag position. Plug the cables in with a power source to provide them with current. The cable will generate heat and melt the snow. We would suggest you hire a professional to ensure that your wires are installed properly.
Use Snow Guards
Snow guards are rods that prevent snow from sliding down to the edges of your roof. They prevent the snow from coming down and is suspended in its place. This prevents snow from piling up along the edges of your roof.
Again, we would suggest getting professional help to ensure that the snow guards are installed properly on your roof. Snow guards should maintain an optimum distance from the edge of the roof and be installed without damaging your metal roof.
Use A Shovel
Using a shovel is one of the dangerous methods of removing snow from your roof. To begin removing snow with a shovel, use a ladder to reach the roof’s top while handling the shovel in one hand.
Stand almost three feet away from the edge of the roof. Begin shoveling from the opposite side of where you have your ladder. This will help in having a rim along the edge of the roof to prevent you from falling off. You can also hire a professional to have the snow from your roof removed professionally and safely.
Use the Avalanche Tool
The avalanche tool is made of a pole that is of a fiberglass material. At the end, there are two-piece of metal that branch out and are thin enough to cut the snow. To begin clearing snow with this tool, hold the avalanche tool with its slicing part facing downwards. Insert it in between the roof and the bottom of the snow.
After pushing the tool a few feet into the snow, pull it out. A chunk will come out, which you can dispose of. Repeat the process for other parts of the roof. However, this process may not be suitable if the snow is wet, there is too much wind, or if your roof is flat.
Metal roofs remove snow faster and are better in snowy areas. Metal roofs have a slope design and conduct heat. This makes it easier to remove snow from them using a rake, shovel, or any of the other methods mentioned above.
