Using A Roof Rake

Using a roof rake will help you alleviate some of the stress on both you and your roof.

Using a roof rake.

It helps to leave the bottom most layer of snow on the roof as this protects the shingles from damage by the snow rake. Just the excess that threatens the load bearing capacity of the roof. Rake plates of one by 2 inches often cover the exposed top edge of the liner when there is also a ledge at the end of the gable. If the ice dams are already there try to remove as much snow as possible from the area of the roof behind the ice dam at least 4 6 feet.

You don t have to get all the snow. At the rake the sealant strip will be positioned at the outer roof edge and once warmed by the sun it will help seal the rake ends of all the finish roof shingles. Using a telescoping snow rake allows you from the safety of the ground to reach near the top of a one story roof and maybe with its extension and curvature the overhangs of your second story roof. The roof rake plates are installed in different widths depending on the surface being covered.

A roof rake is not a rake as in what you d use in fall but rake refers to the pulling or raking process involved in pulling the snow off the roof versus a shovel which you push. If you do a little bit each day you won t have to worry about it accumulating. This takes some upper body strength it s a surprisingly good workout but a roof rake is by far the best way to clear snow from your roof. A roof snow rake is like a 20 ft long aluminum hoe that homeowners us to lighten the structural load on their roof and to reduce the formation of an ice dam the only true solution to ice dams.

A simpler and very useful purpose for using starter shingles along the rake edge is that it gives the installer a nice straight line to use as a guide when ending each course of. Roof rake boards are installed in different widths based on the surface being covered. They can be purchased at most local hardware stores. Avalanche roof rake my buddy shared the commercial so i bought one and made my own commercial.

Step 6 rake a little each day.