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Heavy snowfalls are increasingly causing roof collapses. Fragile structures, due to their dilapidation or mistakes made during construction, cannot withstand the pressure of heavy snow caps. Collapse can only be prevented by timely cleaning of the roof. In this case, there is no need to climb to the roof, risking your health, because there are a lot of different devices that allow you to reach the highest point of the ridge while standing confidently on the ground. It is these devices that will be discussed in the following article.
What are the dangers of snow on the roof?
Throughout the winter, the thickness of the snow cover on the roof only increases. Its weight can reach several tons. Regular alternation of thawing and freezing provokes the formation of ice. Huge blocks of snow and ice move as they grow and can damage roofing material, ventilation pipe outlets, tear off elements of fastening fittings, and gutters. Spontaneous falling of snow from the roof can cause a disaster.
The period of autumn snow melting is also a test for the roof. Heavy, puffy snow slowly turns into water and flows into even the most secluded cracks on the roof.As a result, the rafter part gets wet, and the putrefactive process begins. Under these conditions, even a small amount of liquid can cause significant damage.
The above arguments are a good reason for every owner of a private home to take care of cleaning the roof from the snow. After all, even a high-quality, new roof can suffer under the influence of snow cover. In such a situation, there is no need to talk about the old buildings of the housing complex.
It is worth noting that many new buildings are equipped with a system of special snow retainers that prevent spontaneous falling of snow. Indeed, the presence of such devices gives a certain effect and does not allow heavy masses to actively move, but this does not mean at all that you can refuse to clean the roofs, because there is still a threat of serious damage. The same applies to the cable heating system for drainage systems. They do not allow snow and ice to accumulate around the perimeter of the roof, but the main roof area will still be subject to snow pressure.
Roof cleaning equipment
There are a huge number of universal and special devices for cleaning roofs. For these purposes, homeowners use both ordinary shovels and special paper clips. Before using this or that tool, you need to remember some important points:
- Any equipment can be used on flat roofs of multi-storey and private houses. Both regular shovels and electric snow blowers will do. Working on a horizontal surface is quite simple.
- It is unsafe to stay and move on pitched roofs in winter, so it is recommended to use special scrapers attached to a telescopic handle.They allow you, standing on the ground, to clear snow even from the roof of the attic floor.
- In the absence of a special scraper, you can clean the pitched roof with a shovel with the same telescopic handle. In this case, you will have to climb onto the roof, but you can carry out actions from one point without moving along the pitched roof.
- Delete snow from the roof you can use homemade devices, the design and technology of which we will offer below.
Each type of equipment offered has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages that you need to know about.
Features of the use of conventional shovels
A shovel for removing snow from a roof should be as light and convenient as possible, and its bucket should be spacious. Wooden, metal and plastic shovels are used to clean roofs. They all have their advantages and disadvantages:
- Metal shovels are quite heavy and bulky. When working on the roof, they produce a characteristic sound that can also be heard indoors. Reliable metal can damage some roof elements.
- Wooden shovels are heavy and bulky, but they are not capable of damaging the roof surface. At a relatively low cost, wooden shovels are characterized by a short period of use.
- Plastic shovels are very light and convenient, but, unfortunately, under the influence of low temperatures, low-quality plastic quickly wears out and breaks. A reliable tool is quite expensive and it is not rational to buy it specifically for cleaning the roof.
It is ordinary shovels that are most often used for clearing snow in private buildings, because every owner has such equipment. And even if you have to buy a shovel, it will be useful not only for cleaning the roof, but also for cleaning walkways and areas.
Important features of cuttings
A shovel made of any material can be equipped with a good handle, which will greatly facilitate the process of removing snow from the roof. Of course, the ideal option in this case is a telescopic handle that can extend several meters. But even when using a regular handle, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- The handle should be as reliable and light as possible. It is preferable to choose a handle made of aluminum or high-quality plastic.
- Wooden cuttings are very heavy and smooth. They can easily slip out of the hand of a working person.
- On plastic, wooden and metal cuttings, it is necessary to provide a special rubberized layer that will not allow the shovel to slip out of your hands.
To get a comfortable shovel with a long handle, there is no need to buy expensive, branded equipment, because it will be much cheaper to buy a separate telescopic device and install a modern handle on an existing shovel.
Special scrapers for cleaning roofs
All specialized scrapers for cleaning roofs have approximately the same equipment. They consist of a scraper and a telescopic handle. In some models, the telescopic handle is replaced with a special aluminum tube consisting of 3-4 rods. The length of each of these rods can be 1.2-1.5 m. The scraper itself is made of high-quality plastic that can withstand temperatures down to -400WITH.The dimensions of the working surface for each specific model may be special. It is important to note that the scraper does not have a flat plane and is located at a slight angle. Special skids on the working surface prevent damage to the roof during operation.
These special roof cleaning scrapers are quite lightweight. Their weight, as a rule, does not exceed 3 kg.
Some manufacturers make roof scraper a little differently, replacing the plastic scraper with a metal puller. It is a contour attached to a telescopic handle. During operation, this equipment cuts off part of the snow, which rolls down a sliding belt fixed at the bottom of the structure. The operation of such a scraper can be seen in the video:
How to make a roof scraper with your own hands
To once again affect the family budget, you can make a scraper for cleaning the roof yourself. To do this you will need a wire with a diameter of 10 mm or more. You need to bend a rectangular frame from it. When bending, you need to take into account the fact that the ends of the wire should meet in the middle of the wide side of the frame.
You can use a telescopic handle or an aluminum profile as a handle for the scraper. It is preferable to make a homemade handle from several parts so that you can add and remove a certain number of knees if necessary.
A long piece of sliding film should be hung on the underside of the frame. Attach a handle to the top of the contour that will connect the free ends of the wire.In this simple way, you can make a reliable and practical scraper at home for cleaning snow from roofs.
Cleaning your roof in winter turns out to be very simple. To do this, there is no need to climb to a height and risk your health, because you can buy or make your own scraper with a long handle that will reach the highest point of the roof ridge and remove the entire thickness of heavy snow. If you do not clean the roof on time, you can expose your family and friends to danger, damage the roof or ventilation and drainage elements. One huge block of snow and ice can cause significant damage to the building itself and the people living in it. Agree, such serious risks in this situation are unjustified.
