DIY Melting Snow From a Roof

Heavy snow can cause damage to the structure of your roof.

A roof is designed to support a certain amount of weight, including a modest amount of snow. Unfortunately, a roof is occasionally exposed to larger amounts of snow than it was designed to hold. This excess can damage the structural integrity of the roof and place you in danger. Be careful when melting the snow from your roof. Uneven or incomplete melting can cause ice dams that can damage your roof quickly.

Things You'll Need

• Rock salt
• Plywood
• Construction-quality space heater
• Water hose
• Roof rake
• Work gloves
• Safety glasses
• Hardhat

Instructions

1. Coat your roof with rock salt, which melts snow and ice quickly. Apply a fresh batch of rock salt onto the entire roof every four hours until snow has melted. Unfortunately, the salt will damage the shingles on your roof if it's not washed away, so rinse your roof with a water hose as soon as temperatures rise above freezing for a few hours.

2. Lay plywood across the bottom boards of the roof joists in your attic to form a floor. Cover the joists so the insulation is well-protected. Place a construction-grade space heater onto the plywood platform. Turn on the heater and allow it to heat your attic enough to completely melt the snow off the roof. Don't use this method if your attic is not properly vented, as the fumes from these heaters are toxic.

3. Hook a water hose to the outlet drain on your hot water heater or to a deep sink equipped with hot water. Turn on the water and spray the roof to melt the snow. Only employ this process if the ambient air temperature outside is above freezing.

Tips & Warnings

• The proper method for removing snow from a roof is to manually scrape it away with a roof rake. Rake snow off the roof starting at the bottom and working your way up. Remove 3 feet of snow at a time. Take your time and stay away from the edge of the roof to avoid being hit by falling snow and ice. Wear gloves, safety glasses and a hardhat when raking your roof.

• Don't leave a space heater running in your attic longer than necessary. Monitor it constantly to prevent fires.

• Melting snow can form an ice dam on your roof, damaging the shingles, sheathing and internal structure of the roof.

References

• Ron Hungarter: Attic Heat... Attic Ventilation