If you’ve experienced winter in Northeast Ohio yet, you already know that the snow can be like. If you haven’t lived in Ohio during the winter yet, buckle up! The snow in our area can go from non-existent to polar climate conditions in a matter of hours, and this can cause some problems for your roof! When snow builds up, it can be extremely heavy. This extra weight can put too much stress on your roof and cause leaks, shingle damage and even structural damage to the rest of the house.
The biggest threat snow creates on your roof is an ice dam. Ice dams form at the edge of your roof and in the flashes and prevent water from being able to drain off of the roof. This water can pool and cause leaks. To help you prepare and manage a snowy roof this winter, the local roofing experts at Coates Bros Roofing came up with their top three tips on how to handle this kind of situation!
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Roof raking. Roof rakes are not the same as a yard rake. Roof rakes typically have rollers on the ends of the claws that help you prevent damaging your shingles. Rakes can be extremely useful in getting snow off of your roof. Carefully use the rake and pull the snow off the roof, taking care not to catch the shingles as you go. This is obviously going to be hard if you have a multi-story home, so if that’s the case, try to get places like overhangs cleared since those are typically weaker locations. Don’t try to access your roof with snow on it if it has a steep incline or you have a multi-story home!
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Shoveling. Safety is our number one rule at Coates Bros. and for that reason, we want to recommend that no homeowner tries to access their roof when it is covered with snow. There are many companies that will clear a roof using the proper safety equipment! There is nothing worth risking a serious injury that could happen if you were to slip and fall. Shoveling is a productive method to removing snow from a roof, but let the professionals handle it for you.
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Don’t use rock salt on your shingles! This is probably the most common mistake we see during winter weather. Salt will literally eat right through your shingles which can cause huge problems. The last thing you want to do is cause a roof leak in the middle of winter!
These are just a few tips that we have found to be helpful when handling a snowy roof. If you have more questions about the process, give your local roofing experts all at 440-322-1343 today or visit our website to schedule a free estimate