Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
I have a two-story home with a metal roof. I bought the home three
years ago. Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? Any other alternatives? Thanks! |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:53:13 -0700 (PDT), BuckK
wrote: I have a two-story home with a metal roof. I bought the home three years ago. Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? Any other alternatives? Thanks! I doubt it, and even if they did it would be unmanageable. I have one with 3 extensions totaling 20 feet, and it's a real workout to use, especially if there's any wind at all. If you're not having trouble with ice dams, just worried about snow sliding off, have a roofer install the little brackets designed to prevent the snow from sliding. I don't know what they are called, but they are common around here on older houses with steep slate roofs that are very prone to snow slides. It's common to see one or two rows of the little brackets installed 2-3 feet from the roof's edge. Don't know if they can be used on metal roofs, but worth asking. HTH, Paul F. |
#3
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
Blattus Slafaly wrote:
BuckK wrote: I have a two-story home with a metal roof. I bought the home three years ago. Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? Any other alternatives? Thanks! Damaged your chimney? How so? You need a stronger bulkhead and perhaps a little building over it. You need to get the snow to start sliding off the roof sooner while it's still soft. Why doesn't it? Maybe you need to coat the metal roof with something slick. I assume it's not a modern metal roof, those let the snow slide easily. The old galvanized/painted ones can be too ruff and rusted. Or is it a slope problem, not enough roof angel. Can't see your house from here. What do you mean by bulkhead? A picture with a link would help. A flat porch roof, maybe? As to the chimney- if it isn't at the peak of the roof, it should have a cricket uphill from it to divert snow and rain around it. Best course of action may be a site survey by 2 or 3 professional roofers in your area, that have metal roof experience. (Many do not.) They know the local climate and codes, and hopefully know what works. No, it won't be cheap, but steep roof work 50 feet off the ground is generally not a good idea for DIY anyway. Stuff that can kill you is no place to cut corners. -- aem sends... |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
On Sep 20, 11:53*am, BuckK wrote:
I have a two-story home with a metal roof. *I bought the home three years ago. *Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. *Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. *I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. *Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? *Any other alternatives? Thanks! If the snow is turning to ice, then you have heat. Therefore, the solution is to better ventilate your room and keep the snow as snow. |
#5
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
On Sep 20, 5:32*pm, Pat wrote:
On Sep 20, 11:53*am, BuckK wrote: I have a two-story home with a metal roof. *I bought the home three years ago. *Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. *Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. *I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. *Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? *Any other alternatives? Thanks! If the snow is turning to ice, then you have heat. *Therefore, the solution is to better ventilate your room and keep the snow as snow. And insulate the sun? The roof brackets another poster mentioned are called snowbirds or snow guards. Here's one manufacturer's web site that has a nifty little installation video. I've never used adhesive for attaching them to a metal roof, but they have some pretty amazing adhesives out there so I don't see why it wouldn't work. http://snoblox-snojax.com/pages/snow...structions.php R |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
On Sep 20, 11:53*am, BuckK wrote:
I have a two-story home with a metal roof. *I bought the home three years ago. *Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. *Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. *I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. *Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? *Any other alternatives? Thanks! Thanks fo rthe relpies, let me try to clarify. I want the snow to slide off the roof before it turns to ice. We have cathedral ceilings with no chimney. I suspect heat is the culprit. The roof is only 5 years old, pretty steep, and and pretty smooth. I just need a way to get the snow off after each storm. |
#7
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
On Sep 22, 7:49*pm, BuckK wrote:
On Sep 20, 11:53*am, BuckK wrote: I have a two-story home with a metal roof. *I bought the home three years ago. *Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. *Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. *I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. *Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? *Any other alternatives? Thanks! Thanks fo rthe relpies, let me try to clarify. *I want the snow to slide off the roof before it turns to ice. *We have cathedral ceilings with no chimney. *I suspect heat is the culprit. *The roof is only 5 years old, pretty steep, and and pretty smooth. *I just need a way to get the snow off after each storm. I don't know where you live but I live in the snow belt south of Buffalo. We get snow. Lots and lots of snow. Snow on a roof isn't a problem. In some ways it's a good thing. Ice is a different problem. It can fall off and clunk you or whatever. The solution isn't to get the snow off after every snow storm (which around here might be twice a day) but to keep the snow from turning into ice. You have a cathedral ceiling so it's unlikely you have an attic. If you do have an attic, get up in there and check your insulation. Make sure there's enough air circulating to keep it cool (so no ice forms). If you don't have an attic, you should have someone look at the roof and make sure there is adequate/proper venting. If there was not problem before the last roof went on, check to see what happened to the venting. Another option would be to install some sort of internal duct with a fan to take hot air off the peak of the ceiling and bring it down to floor level to recirculate it. That might keep your roof cooler. As for a rake, I doubt it. At 50' there's an incredible amount of leverage working against you. Picture a 5 lb item on a 50' boom. First off, the boom would have to be pretty significant. Second off, the leverage would make it so it would be really hard to lift. The only possible solution I can think of is something like a chimney cleaning broom where you can keep adding on 10' sections. That might work poorly but might work. But a ridge vent is a better solution. |
#8
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
Pat wrote:
On Sep 22, 7:49 pm, BuckK wrote: On Sep 20, 11:53 am, BuckK wrote: I have a two-story home with a metal roof. I bought the home three years ago. Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? Any other alternatives? Thanks! Thanks fo rthe relpies, let me try to clarify. I want the snow to slide off the roof before it turns to ice. We have cathedral ceilings with no chimney. I suspect heat is the culprit. The roof is only 5 years old, pretty steep, and and pretty smooth. I just need a way to get the snow off after each storm. I don't know where you live but I live in the snow belt south of Buffalo. We get snow. Lots and lots of snow. Snow on a roof isn't a problem. In some ways it's a good thing. Ice is a different problem. It can fall off and clunk you or whatever. The solution isn't to get the snow off after every snow storm (which around here might be twice a day) but to keep the snow from turning into ice. You have a cathedral ceiling so it's unlikely you have an attic. If you do have an attic, get up in there and check your insulation. Make sure there's enough air circulating to keep it cool (so no ice forms). If you don't have an attic, you should have someone look at the roof and make sure there is adequate/proper venting. If there was not problem before the last roof went on, check to see what happened to the venting. Another option would be to install some sort of internal duct with a fan to take hot air off the peak of the ceiling and bring it down to floor level to recirculate it. That might keep your roof cooler. As for a rake, I doubt it. At 50' there's an incredible amount of leverage working against you. Picture a 5 lb item on a 50' boom. First off, the boom would have to be pretty significant. Second off, the leverage would make it so it would be really hard to lift. The only possible solution I can think of is something like a chimney cleaning broom where you can keep adding on 10' sections. That might work poorly but might work. But a ridge vent is a better solution. Up in New England I have seen many houses with steep roofs that have what look like small damns along the base of their roofs which I presume stop large chunks of snow and/or ice from coming down as large chunks. Lou |
#9
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
On Sep 23, 4:45*am, LouB wrote:
Pat wrote: On Sep 22, 7:49 pm, BuckK wrote: On Sep 20, 11:53 am, BuckK wrote: I have a two-story home with a metal roof. *I bought the home three years ago. *Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. *Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. *I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. *Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? *Any other alternatives? Thanks! Thanks fo rthe relpies, let me try to clarify. *I want the snow to slide off the roof before it turns to ice. *We have cathedral ceilings with no chimney. *I suspect heat is the culprit. *The roof is only 5 years old, pretty steep, and and pretty smooth. *I just need a way to get the snow off after each storm. I don't know where you live but I live in the snow belt south of Buffalo. *We get snow. *Lots and lots of snow. Snow on a roof isn't a problem. *In some ways it's a good thing. Ice is a different problem. *It can fall off and clunk you or whatever. *The solution isn't to get the snow off after every snow storm (which around here might be twice a day) but to keep the snow from turning into ice. You have a cathedral ceiling so it's unlikely you have an attic. *If you do have an attic, get up in there and check your insulation. *Make sure there's enough air circulating to keep it cool (so no ice forms). If you don't have an attic, you should have someone look at the roof and make sure there is adequate/proper venting. *If there was not problem before the last roof went on, check to see what happened to the venting. Another option would be to install some sort of internal duct with a fan to take hot air off the peak of the ceiling and bring it down to floor level to recirculate it. *That might keep your roof cooler. As for a rake, I doubt it. *At 50' there's an incredible amount of leverage working against you. *Picture a 5 lb item on a 50' boom. First off, the boom would have to be pretty significant. *Second off, the leverage would make it so it would be really hard to lift. The only possible solution I can think of is something like a chimney cleaning broom where you can keep adding on 10' sections. *That might work poorly but might work. *But a ridge vent is a better solution. Up in New England I have seen many houses with steep roofs that have what look like small damns along the base of their roofs which I presume stop large chunks of snow and/or ice from coming down as large chunks. Lou Exactly. Snow should come off the roof by itself and those things keep it from coming down in sheets. This guy has the opposite problem. He can't get it to come down. That means he has a roof problem not a snow problem. |
#10
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Roof - snow removal
On Sep 23, 4:30*am, Pat wrote:
On Sep 23, 4:45*am, LouB wrote: Pat wrote: On Sep 22, 7:49 pm, BuckK wrote: On Sep 20, 11:53 am, BuckK wrote: I have a two-story home with a metal roof. *I bought the home three years ago. *Every year ice builds up on the roof ans slowly slides off. *Last year it became 6 inches thick and when it finally let go it destroyed my metal bulkhead and damaged my chimney. *I'd like to remove the snow before it turns to ice. *Is there a roof rake that will reach the top of my house (the peak is almost 50 feet from the ground)? *Any other alternatives? Thanks! Thanks fo rthe relpies, let me try to clarify. *I want the snow to slide off the roof before it turns to ice. *We have cathedral ceilings with no chimney. *I suspect heat is the culprit. *The roof is only 5 years old, pretty steep, and and pretty smooth. *I just need a way to get the snow off after each storm. I don't know where you live but I live in the snow belt south of Buffalo. *We get snow. *Lots and lots of snow. Snow on a roof isn't a problem. *In some ways it's a good thing. Ice is a different problem. *It can fall off and clunk you or whatever. *The solution isn't to get the snow off after every snow storm (which around here might be twice a day) but to keep the snow from turning into ice. You have a cathedral ceiling so it's unlikely you have an attic. *If you do have an attic, get up in there and check your insulation. *Make sure there's enough air circulating to keep it cool (so no ice forms).. If you don't have an attic, you should have someone look at the roof and make sure there is adequate/proper venting. *If there was not problem before the last roof went on, check to see what happened to the venting. Another option would be to install some sort of internal duct with a fan to take hot air off the peak of the ceiling and bring it down to floor level to recirculate it. *That might keep your roof cooler. As for a rake, I doubt it. *At 50' there's an incredible amount of leverage working against you. *Picture a 5 lb item on a 50' boom. First off, the boom would have to be pretty significant. *Second off, the leverage would make it so it would be really hard to lift. The only possible solution I can think of is something like a chimney cleaning broom where you can keep adding on 10' sections. *That might work poorly but might work. *But a ridge vent is a better solution. Up in New England I have seen many houses with steep roofs that have what look like small damns along the base of their roofs which I presume stop large chunks of snow and/or ice from coming down as large chunks. Lou Exactly. *Snow should come off the roof by itself and those things keep it from coming down in sheets. *This guy has the opposite problem. *He can't get it to come down. *That means he has a roof problem not a snow problem.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Yep. That's another fun thing about cathedral ceilings - very hard to properly insulate and ventilate. Some others: Most of your heat is 'up there', hard t clean. I wanted them when I did an addition until I considered the downside of them. Harry K |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Roof insulation and snow melting | Home Repair | |||
Snow Removal on 40 acres | Home Repair | |||
Anyone use a snow roof rake? | Home Repair | |||
Anyone use a snow roof rake? | Home Ownership | |||
12 degree pitch roof snow loading | UK diy |