DIY Roof Raking

Excess snow on your roof should be removed with a snow rake.

After a big snowstorm hits, the priority is often clearing the driveway and sidewalks. However, you shouldn't look past all of the snow piled up on your roof. The excess weight can cause a significant amount of pressure -- especially on older, weaker roofs -- and could ultimately cause it to collapse. While it's too dangerous to climb up on the roof and shovel off the snow, you can easily remove the snow from the ground by using a roof rake.

Things You'll Need

• Roof rake

Instructions

1. Trample the snow around the perimeter of your house. While this takes some time, it will allow you to move more efficiently around the house while using the roof rake and will prevent you from getting stuck in a drift. If you have children, encourage them to run around the perimeter of the house to give you a hand.

2. Assemble the roof rake according to the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Stand at least three feet away from the house. Raise the roof rake up onto the roof so that it is positioned approximately 3 feet from the edge of the roof. Pull back on the rake to pull the snow to the ground. Avoid putting too much downward pressure on the roof rake so you don't scrape and damage the shingles. Try to leave a thin layer of snow on top of the shingles.

4. Continue raking the roof until you have gone around the entire perimeter and removed a 3-foot wide row of snow.

5. Continue working your way up the roof until you have hit all of the easy-to-reach areas and are satisfied with the amount of snow that has been removed.

Tips & Warnings

• Roof rakes come in a variety of lengths, and pole extensions can also be used to extend the reach and hit all the main areas of your roof. If you cannot find pole extensions, you can buy multiple roof rakes and connect the poles to make one roof rake with a longer reach.

• Do not worry about removing all of the snow from the roof. Even if you only rake the easily-accessible areas, you will have removed a significant amount of weight from the roof.

• Always wear adequate cold-weather gear to prevent frostbite.

• It is important to stand a sufficient distance away from the house when using a roof rake to prevent you from pulling snow and ice down on top of yourself.

References

• WOWT.com: Better To Clear Snow Off Roof Or Wait?
• Web Site Repair Guy: How to Rake Snow Off Your Roof