5 products to keep your roof clear of ice and snow when a nor'easter hits
These will help your home handle winter weather conditions
Credit:
Reviewed / Frost King / Snowpeeler / Avalanche! / Snow Guard / Sata / Roof Melt by KMI
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When winter storm warnings and talk of nor'easters start making forecast headlines, it’s time to hunker down. But after snowy and icy weather conditions blast through, it's time to turn your attention to cleaning up and shoveling out. Yes, your walkway and driveway, of course—but also your roof.
Snow and ice on your roof isn’t a case of out of sight, out of mind. Your roof can gather just as much snow and ice as the ground around your home. Ice dams are a serious problem in regions that experience extreme winter weather conditions.
Before the next blizzard hits, take the time to gather a few key tools to tackle piles of snow and slicks of ice on your shingles. Otherwise, plan to spend time removing ice dams—or worse—dealing with the damage.
1. Roof melt
Just like you’d salt your driveway, your roof needs roof melt to melt away any ice that builds up. Regularly using these pellets/pucks/tablets made of calcium chloride can help clear away accumulating ice, making it a necessary step in ice dam prevention.
This fast-acting Roof Melt by KMI melts ice down to -20°F. This package of 60 tablets should keep you going for awhile.
2. Snow rake
Rather than getting out a ladder in slippery, wet weather conditions and risking a fall, you can invest in a snow rake to literally pull snow off the edges of the roof while you stand firmly on the ground. Depending on your circumstances, the best choice might be a heavy duty snow rake, or a basic one may work just fine.
This telescopic heavy duty roof rake includes protective glide pads and extends 30 feet in length, cutting through snow to clear it away.
MPC blurb description: A 20-foot reach and 24-inch wide head means this snow rake can handle a lot. It also has built-in wheels to prevent damage.
3. Roof de-icing cables
If you know that your roof is susceptible to ice dams, then you might need to bring the heat—literally. If you’ve already tried roof melt when working toward ice dam prevention and know that it’s not heavy duty enough, then roof de-icing cables may be the answer.
(Don’t ever, ever use a blowtorch to heat up your roof!)
Using de-icing cables is particularly ideal for those with cold attics or upper floors that only make your roof a chillier place for ice to build up.
Plan to install the cables ahead of any winter weather, and it will require a bit of ladder work and crawling up on the roof. De-icing cables work best when turned on before the snow and ice start to fall to allow your roof to get pre-heated.
This cable kit stretches for 100 feet and is best used around gutters and downspouts to keep them from freezing up and creating ice dams.
4. Gutter guards built for snow
After clearing your gutters from leaves in the fall, anyone living in a wintry part of the U.S. should consider installing snow gutter guards. These are made to protect gutters from snow and ice build-up by acting like a speed bump; they also make it easier to clear away snow with a roof shovel.
Snow gutter guards are particularly helpful for homes with a metal roof, and these (in a 10-pack) have extra-long gussets.
5. A mallet with impact absorption
If you’ve tried everything to work toward ice dam prevention, but you’re still finding bulky packs of ice on your roof, then it may be time for a mallet. It's a less-safe method for clearing away snow and ice, but it may be necessary for ice that just won’t melt. Once you’ve used some roof melt and let it do its job, you can climb onto the roof to smash away any remaining ice.
With its soft, polyurethane, impact-absorbing head, this mallet won't damage your roof, but it will smash away ice.
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