Each winter, thousands of homeowners throughout the Twin Cities metro struggle against ice dams. When a house’s attic is properly insulated and ventilated, the natural heat escaping through the roof should melt accumulating snow, preventing ice dams from forming. However, when this isn’t the case, piled snow will melt in patches, and this meltwater will often refreeze in gutters and on the edges of roofs, forming ice dams that trap more snow and water behind them.

Removing ice dams is a frustrating chore, so the wiser option is to prevent them from forming in the first place. One of the best ways to prevent ice dam formation on your Twin Cities home’s roof is to clear snow using a roof rake.

How to Prevent Ice Dams Using a Roof Rake

You may have seen your neighbor or your cousin remove snow from the roof with a garden rake duct-traped to a wooden pole. A true roof rake actually looks more like a garden hoe than a rake used for leaves, and it has a telescoping pole to reach high up onto your roof. When used safely and correctly, a roof rake is an excellent way to keep the roof of your Twin Cities home clear of snow throughout winter, thereby preventing ice dam formation.

Roof rakes are specially designed to push and pull snow off of roofs without damaging the roofing materials beneath – unlike true rakes or similar tools, which could easily harm your roof shingles. However, if mishandled, roof rakes can still cause damage to your roof, which is why it’s important to use them properly. These tools are intended for gentle snow removal and should not be used to bash or stab at clumps of snow and patches of ice.

Before trying your hand at roof raking, there are a few safety tips you should keep in mind to protect both yourself and your property:

  • Before the first winter snowfall, get up on a ladder and perform a roof inspection – or hire a Twin Cities area roofing contractor to do it for you. If you have damaged roof shingles, loose gutters or any other issues up on your roof, that’s something you should know about before using a roof rake so that you can exercise caution.
  • Be extremely careful if there are any power lines connected to your roof. Striking live wires with your roof rake can be a deadly mistake. For roofs with power lines present, leave some space between where the lines connect and where you stick your roof rake.
  • Don’t use a roof rake from high up on a ladder. Working on a ladder is hazardous at the best of times and the risk increases drastically in winter, when slips and falls are more likely. If your roof is too high to clear snow with a roof rake while standing safely on the ground, you may need to opt for an alternative ice dam prevention solution.
  • Watch out when using a roof rake to pull snow and ice down from the roof of your Twin Cities area home. Falling snow isn’t likely to cause harm unless a huge amount falls at once, but chunks of ice or icicles could cause serious injury on the way down.

Ice Dam Removal Do’s and Don’t’s

You may hear many methods of ice dam removal and prevention tossed around. Some ideas are good, some are very bad. When it comes to ice dam removal on the roof of your Twin Cities home, here are a few do’s and don’t’s to remember:

DO:

  • After each snowfall, remove accumulated snow with a roof rake to prevent ice dams from forming.
  • Take measures to improve the ventilation and insulation of your attic so ice dams won’t form in winter.
  • Hire a professional ice dam removal company in the Twin Cities to get rid of ice dams using steamers.

DON’T:

  • Use a roof rake or any other tools to try to physically chip or smash away at ice dams.
  • Apply chemical de-icing products to your roof and gutters.
  • Attempt to remove ice dams from your roof and gutters using excessive heat.

Reliable Ice Dam Removal Services in the Twin Cities

If you need a hand to keep ice dams from forming on your roof during the winter, Arko Exteriors is here to help. Give us a call today to learn more about our ice dam removal services in the greater Twin Cities area!