How to throw from a roof. How to easily clear a roof overhang from sliding snow. How to clean a roof

For residents of private houses, the onset of winter means not only beautiful snow-covered nature and clean frosty air, but also the beginning of the fight against snow on the roofs of their houses. Clearing roofs of snow is a serious task that should not be put off. This can lead to undesirable consequences, such as deformation of the roofing material and the formation of holes in the roof.

If there is a lot of snow and the rafter system is not strengthened enough, the roof will collapse. With warming, snow can thaw and turn into ice, pieces of which, when falling, can cause significant harm decorative elements facade or area adjacent to the house.

What do you need to remove snow from your roof?

In order to remove snow from the roof, no expensive or special equipment is required, the main thing is that the tools are selected correctly.

It is better to take a plastic or wooden shovel; they will not damage the roof. Plastic scrapers for snow removal, which are easy to use thanks to their telescopic handle, have proven themselves well.


If as roofing When constructing the roof, metal tiles were used, then to remove snow from its surface there are pushers designed specifically for this material.

There are also special devices for clearing snow, but they are better suited for clearing snow from the ground, but it is better not to use them for the roof.

Removing snow from the roof yourself - instructions

Removing snow from the roof with your own hands is a simple task that does not require special knowledge and skills. You just need to follow safety precautions and some rules, such as:

  • It is better to clear the roof of snow during the day, this will minimize the risk of injury.
  • Before you climb onto the roof, you should decide on a place where to throw the snow.
  • It is better to clear the roof of snow in calm weather, without precipitation.
  • It is better to work in tandem with someone who can, if necessary, provide a tool or provide backup in an emergency situation.
  • Shoes should not be slippery, and clothing should be as comfortable as possible.

Proper removal of snow from the roof of a house involves the following sequence of actions:

Remove icicles from around the roof perimeter. This can be made from the ground using a long strip.


Take care of insurance - a thick rope is perfect for this. It should be long enough to wrap around your belt several times, and securely fix the edge to the pipe.

Install a ladder to climb up. It is advisable to secure it well.

First you need to clear the snow from the edges of the roof, gradually moving upward. In this case, you need to be as careful and careful as possible so as not to damage the integrity of the coating, because modern materials They are quite thin and can easily become deformed.

If an ice crust has already formed under the snow, it is better not to touch it, but wait until it thaws.
That's all! All that remains is to remove the snow thrown from the roof away from the house and the task can be considered completed.

How often should you clear your roof of snow? There is no clear answer. This depends primarily on how snowy the winter is and what material was used to construct the roof.

It is advisable to clear the edges of the roof at least 2 meters after each significant snowfall. At the same time, once a month you need to completely remove the snow from the roof, otherwise, under the influence of sunlight, the snow will begin to melt and form an ice crust, which will be much more difficult to remove.


Other ways to remove snow from your roof

How to easily remove snow on the roof? This question interests many, because clearing snow from a roof with a shovel is an activity that requires effort and time.

Most affordable chemical agent is salt mixed with sand. This product is widely available, but its main disadvantage is that salt destroys the anti-corrosion protection of metals. Therefore, it is not worth using it often.

There are special chemical reagents that actively destroy ice and prevent new freezing in already treated areas.

Modern science also does not stand still - a system called “roofing without icicles” is an effective protection against the formation of ice on the roof surface.


The operation of the system is based on electrical cables that generate heat, which are placed around the perimeter of the roof. The system is equipped with special automation that regulates the degree of heating of the wires.

Snow on the roof of a house needs to be cleaned regularly, but even if there is not a lot of snow on the roof, icicles must be removed. These pieces of ice on the roof can be very dangerous - if they fall from a height, they can cause significant harm to people, cars and other objects that are located close to the house.

Timely removal of snow and ice from the roof of a house is the key to a long service life of the roofing covering - you should not forget about this. And roof repair is much more expensive and labor-intensive than snow removal.

Removing piles of snow from the roof after a snowstorm, of course, is not on the list of favorite activities for many of us. This can be a very difficult and even dangerous endeavor. That's why we have a tip that will completely change the way you look at this winter chore. Read on to find out more!

This method became famous thanks to one of the videos on YouTube. They show us how easy it is to get rid of hundreds of pounds of snow.

The video begins with a beautiful picture of a house that looks like it belongs in a Kincaid painting. This picture is breathtaking; there is a lot of snow on the roof. Any northerner will remember his native expanses. But, of course, you need to get rid of the snow and ice!

Next, we see a man securing a thick thread to the highest points of the roof. After that, he came down from the roof, holding the second end of the threads in his hands. By pulling, it seems to create a “mini-avalanche”, and the snow very quickly rolls off the roof. Magic!

Even if it seems that this method will not work on flat roofs, this is wrong. If you have a lot of strength and there is someone who is ready to help you pull the rope, then you can handle it. This means that the method is suitable for almost all types of roofs; if there is even a slight slope, the problem with snow removal is solved!

There is another tip to avoid slipping on the roof when there is a lot of snow and ice, you can fasten the threads before the snow falls, then your task will become much easier, plus it will become safer.

Danger if you don't remove snow

Those who live in places where there is a lot of snow know that they have to remove snow almost every day or even several times a day. The main danger of large amounts of snow is that it is heavy, and its weight can cause significant damage to your roof.

So how much snow can a roof hold? Well, the answer is not quite that clear cut because there is no specific weight or volume that is standard for all types of roofs. It comes down to the amount of support various fastenings, the very material from which the roof is made, whether there are additional supporting mechanisms or not.

However, you can get a rough estimate of the snow's weight by its height above the roof. For example, the experts at Logic report that “6 inches of wet snow equals about 38 inches of dry snow.” This gives some idea of ​​how heavy snow can actually be!

In short, if there has been a heavy snowfall, it is definitely time to use this method that we have shared with you!

Now that you're certainly ready to remove that much snow, be sure to watch the video first to see how effective this method is. Just remember: if there is no snow on the roof, you can protect yourself from various dangers!

In addition to the fact that snow lying on the roof can slide down on its own at one “wonderful” moment and cause a lot of trouble, it leads to damage to the roof when it melts during thaws and in the spring. And a thick layer of snow can completely collapse an unreliable roof!

Therefore, it is advisable to remove snow throughout the winter, avoiding it large cluster. But not everyone can easily climb onto the roof to throw it down. To do this, there are various devices for clearing roofs of snow while working on the ground.

I offer for consideration two samples for such work, which are not difficult to do with your own hands.

First option.

Device from plastic bottles or cans.

You will need:

1) - 6-10 plastic bottles or canisters. Canisters, for example, from car oil are preferable because they have a larger volume and greater capacity.

2) - Rope. The length is determined by location.

Manufacturing.

Cut off from polyethylene containers top part so that there is approximately 10 cm left with the neck. Holes are drilled in the plugs with a diameter slightly larger than the thickness of the prepared rope.

Now take the cork, string it on a rope, secure it on both sides with knots and screw it onto the neck, making sure that the corks “look” in one direction. Having put on three to five blanks in this way, we do the same, but now the plugs should “look” in the other direction.

Do not forget to leave a part of the rope without bottles between the two central plugs for free movement - preferably equal to the length roof slope. It doesn't matter if it is smaller. Simply in this case, the edge of the bottle, jumping over the skate when reverse stroke, can cling to it and be damaged if, for example, the ridge is sheathed with tin.

Principle of operation.

It's better to work together. One person stands on one side of the building, the other on the opposite. Your device is thrown over the roof so that the necks are directed upward. Now, alternately dragging the garland back and forth and gradually moving from one end of the building to the other, you gradually free the roof of snow. When the garland moves in one direction, one part of it will go in idle mode, and the other will capture snow in the container and throw it off the roof. During the reverse stroke, another part of the garland works.

You can work with this device alone. To do this, tie a counterweight to the rope on the opposite side. The mass will have to be calculated experimentally.

Second option.

After watching the video, you will understand everything without description - both how it is done and how it works.

All you need to make is a piece of galvanized steel and a long pole.

Publication date.

Every year with the arrival of winter, snow falls in our city. Sometimes more, sometimes very little. The number of accidents and damage to the roof and property depends on this, but isolated cases occur even when the winter has very little snow. This is why it is so important to monitor the condition of the roof winter period. Houses located on busy city streets require special attention. Perfect option– snow removal after each heavy snowfall.

The most obvious thing that comes to mind is the formation of icicles that can fall on passersby, parked cars and outbuildings. But the resulting icicles also indicate that a layer of ice has formed on the roof itself, with a thickness directly proportional to the weight of the icicles (ice thicker than 30 cm has been encountered), as well as snow deposits on the roof, creating loads of up to 1000 kg/m2.

In the most advanced cases, falling icicles can even break through the roofs of outbuildings and driveway canopies.

The most common dangers associated with untimely snow removal can be divided into several types:

Deformation and damage to the roof.

For metal and slate roofs: Snow drifts create an additional load, which causes the load-bearing structures to deform roofing structures: rafters and roofing sheets bend, which can cause gaps to form at the joints of sheets and valleys, where snow can get clogged, ice can form and, as a result, the roof can leak both during snow melting and subsequently summer period. In case of poor quality thermal insulation attic floors or attic, these problems are simply inevitable due to the melting of snow and ice under the snow cap. It is extremely rare, but roof collapse does occur, most often this happens in the case of rotten wooden structures roofs.

In some cases, an avalanche of snow carries away elements along with the snow outer valleys and drainage elements.

For a soft roof: Snow on the roof with poor thermal insulation of the attic creates a layer of ice, which, when melting-freezing cycles are repeated, destroys the soft roof, forming leaks primarily at the joints of soft roof sheets, in rare cases - in an arbitrary place, provided that the screed under the layers is of poor quality soft roof.

Deformation and damage to drainage systems.

The formation of snow drifts and icicles on gutters quite often leads to their damage or collapse. For metal roofing the danger is enhanced by the possibility of an avalanche of snow, which can tear off or bend gutters along the entire length of the collapse.

To prevent avalanches of snow, our company recommends installing snow retention or regularly cleaning the roof of snow.

Falling snow and ice on people and their property.

The worst thing that can happen is the death and injury of people due to snow melting or falling icicles. Vehicles parked nearby are also regularly damaged, and, less often, the roofing of outbuildings and entrance canopies.

How do climbers clear snow?

There are three main types of roof cleaning:

  1. Complete cleaning of the roof from snow and ice.
    Most reliable way guaranteeing the safety of people and their property.
  2. Clearing snow around the perimeter a meter from the edge of the roof.
    The method is preventive and protects only from the collapse of snow, ice and icicles directly from the edge of the roof.
    Does not protect against avalanches of snow in the absence of snow retention.
  3. Removing icicles and snow drifts in the most problematic areas.
    The method, also classified as preventative, is the most economical, but only protects cleaned sections of the roof from collapsing from the edge of the roof.

What safety measures do climbers take?

  1. The work area is fenced off with warning tape.
  2. Climbers work on special equipment with self-locking belay systems.
  3. In the area where snow and ice are falling, a person is on duty to warn pedestrians and drivers about the danger outside the area fenced with warning tape (can be provided by the customer or the contractor).

What determines the cost of removing snow from a roof?

  1. The cost of work primarily depends on the convenience of work: the possibility of access to the roof, the presence of a ladder to the canopy, the presence of a fence, etc. There were roofs where a total area of ​​400 sq. m. there were only two dormer windows, there was no barrier, snow retention and stairs to the canopy.
  2. Scope of work. The larger the volume, the cheaper each meter.
  3. Type of snow removal. Depending on the type of snow removal selected above, the cost of cleaning one square meter changes.
  4. Snow cover thickness and ice thickness. We encountered snow drifts up to 1.5 m and ice more than 30 cm thick, but this is an extreme degree of neglect of the roof.

Rarely are there other factors that influence the cost of work; if they are present, they are determined by a specialist directly during the inspection of the facility.

All roofs are different and it is impossible to describe each of them in one article, but most problems with snow are typical and can be solved standard methods, of course, if these are done by professionals.

Why do you need to clean and remove snow from your roof?

In multi-storey residential buildings, the problem of removing snow from roofs is solved by workers of public utilities (management companies), and owners of their own real estate must monitor the condition of the roof themselves. With the arrival of winter, it must be regularly cleared of snow and ice.

It seems that there is nothing complicated in this work, but in reality you need to know how to clear the roof of snow correctly, observing safety precautions. On sunny days, there is often a thaw, the snow begins to melt, and as the temperature drops, the water freezes and the roof surface becomes slippery, and if you do not follow the rules for cleaning roofs, troubles cannot be avoided.

Icicles that collect along the perimeter of roofs are known to pose a threat to human health, as they can cause serious injury if they fall. The melting of layers of snow can damage vehicles in the parking lot near the house, destroy evergreen ornamental plantings and other property.

Clearing roofs of snow is necessary, since the mass of snow, as in the photo, places a significant load on the roof structure, which can lead to its deformation, in this case, a violation of the tightness of the joints is observed and displacement of individual fragments of the coating is noted. In many domestic regions it falls in winter large quantity precipitation, and the thickness of snowdrifts often reaches a meter or more. Not every roof can withstand their enormous weight. To avoid having to urgently repair the roof in frosty weather, it is necessary to clear it of snow.

If snow is not removed in a timely manner, in the event of sudden warming, it begins to rapidly melt and the drainage system installed on the building may not be able to cope with the large water flow, which leads to numerous leaks, wet ceilings, walls, foundations and other undesirable consequences.

Sequence of cleaning the roof from snow

As already noted, there are rules for clearing the roof of snow; they must be followed and then the roof of the building will last a long time without major repairs.

It does not take much time to eliminate snow and icicles, and from a financial point of view it is more profitable than restoring its surface and drainage system.

Stage one.

Start cleaning the roof own home necessary from icicles hanging from the slopes:

  • you need to take a long strip and carefully knock them down, but you should not stand directly under them: the longer the object, the better;
  • to avoid damaging the elements drainage system and it is not advisable to hit the roof covering too hard against icicles;
  • If the ice does not come off with a little effort, it is removed directly from the roof.

Stage two.

Before clearing snow from the roof, you should choose appropriate tool and use a safety belt or strong rope, since the roof surface is always slippery. It is better not to do such work alone, but to use the services of an assistant. As for the tool, the shovel should be plastic or wooden, but in no case metal, which can damage the coating.

In this case, it is advisable to follow the following recommendations:

  • work is carried out during daylight hours, when there is no precipitation, since it complicates the process and increases the risk of injury;
  • you need to wear the most comfortable clothing that does not restrict movement; for shoes, a model with protectors on the sole is preferable;
  • It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that when carrying out work there are no people, animals or vehicles within reach. Otherwise, a falling layer of snow may injure a passerby or cause material damage to the car;
  • After the snow has been removed from the roof, you must carefully clean off the remaining icicles on the roof that are firmly frozen to the roof slopes and to the drainage elements. They can also be cut with a hacksaw.

If, for a number of reasons, clearing snow from roofs on your own is difficult, then it makes sense to seek help from professionals who, thanks to their acquired skills and the availability of climbing equipment, can easily and quickly cope with the order.

How to prevent snow accumulation

Clearing the roof of snow in winter has to be done frequently, this is especially true in the northern regions of the country. Constantly hiring industrial climbers costs a lot of money, and many citizens cannot afford it. Exist modern methods prevent snow accumulation on the roof. This is especially true when it is necessary to clear a soft roof of snow (read also: “How to repair a roof in winter”).

The most effective option installation of a roof anti-icing system is considered, which is preferably installed during the process of creating the roof. It is a set of equipment consisting of a heating part, a distribution network and a control system.

Lay the heating cable until it is laid on the roof finishing coating in places where ice formation and accumulation of snow mass are most often observed. The snow melting system is then connected to power and the roof surface is completed. The included thermostats automatically monitor the temperature environment and provide optimal heating.

The cable is also laid in gutters and drain pipes, as a result of which ice does not form in them.

Another option for protecting against the collapse of a large layer of snow is to install snow guards on the roof, but they do not replace the need to remove snow from the roof. Their installation in the right places prevents snow and ice from falling on the heads of citizens passing by the building and prevents melted ice from floating onto the elements of the drainage structure and damaging them.

Some owners of their own houses, to protect the roof from the accumulation of a large volume of snow mass, create a large slope of the slopes and an absolutely smooth surface on the roof.

Measures to prepare the roof for winter

Before the onset of winter cold, when heavy precipitation in the form of snow begins, and in anticipation of regular forays onto the roof, experts recommend preparing it for this in a timely manner.

First of all, you need to:

  • clean the surface of leaves, branches and other debris that may disrupt the functioning of the drainage system;
  • close the funnels with special lids or plugs;
  • paint over damaged areas;
  • check the reliability and integrity of the covering fasteners, otherwise poorly secured fragments may move and the tightness will be broken;
  • consider installing an anti-icing system because better protection for roofing for the winter period does not exist today. The considerable cost of the heating system will be justified, since a large amount of money will be saved on the service provided by climbers and annual roof repairs.

Winter time is, first of all, snow, which you first admire, then look at with a tired smile, and in the end you begin to curse, especially if you are the one entrusted with cleaning the roof from snow. There is no point in waiting for spring in this matter - of course, the gentle sun will help clear the snow from the roof in no time, but before that time it will have time to be pretty deteriorated from the snow, as well as debris that could rot under this snow - not to mention the icicles that They usually hold on to the eaves with enviable stubbornness. Therefore, take the need to promptly remove snow from the roof for granted and learn how to do it correctly.

How often should snow be removed from the roof? This depends on the type of roof, as well as the intensity of snowfall. For most roofs, cleaning is not necessary unless the snow is more than 5-10 cm thick, but as soon as the layers become more extensive, it is recommended to start cleaning them immediately to prevent the snow from icing up - and then removing it will become much more difficult and dangerous. event.

The first thing you need to do to clean your roof is to equip yourself workplace. It’s good if the roof is small and can be swept with a broom from a ladder firmly installed on the ground, or is flat, with a convenient exit to it, then a shovel or broom will help you deal with snow mounds very quickly. Some use water hoses for cleaning, but this, although it will reduce cleaning time, can cause more damage to the roof when the water begins to freeze and form ice, which will have to be chipped off, and the like water procedures in the cold season they have not yet benefited any roof. If the roof is not very convenient, provide yourself with reliable and high-quality insurance - at least a rope that will give you freedom of movement on the roof and at the same time help you stay on it in the event of a sudden gust of wind. Without insurance, no roof cleaning procedures should be carried out - at least in summer time you roller-skated on it. In addition, you will need some protective tape or at least a stern warning to household members not to walk under the roof.

How to quickly and safely remove snow from your roof

By the way, select and the right shoes, which will have a fairly stable sole and will not slip on a wet roof.

Then you can proceed directly to cleaning. It is better to start from the middle of the roof and gradually move to the edges so that the snow does not interfere with your implementation. Clearing the ice can be done from the ground (either with the help of a regular stick, or with the help of a water cannon, if available, but move a safe distance from the intended place where the icicles will fall). If you have children, you can prohibit them from eating icicles on the eve of cleaning, because “although they are tasty, they are harmful,” then by the day of cleaning there will be an order of magnitude fewer icicles. Not only the roof itself should be cleared of snow and ice, but also all adjacent elements - gutters, eaves, etc., this will further prevent the growth of snowdrifts and icicles. Do not try to remove the entire layer of snow from the roof - by scratching it, you only contribute to harmful effects moisture on the roof, and for good cleaning it is enough to remove the thickest layers of snow.

Do not forget about cleaning the roof not only on a residential building, but also on sheds, bathhouses, gazebos - they all equally need timely winter care. If you do not have time to do the cleaning yourself, you need to contact a cleaning company that will provide the services of industrial climbers to clean absolutely all the roofs on your site - and will save you time, effort and money on repairing the roof, which could be damaged from -for the snow.

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Scraper for removing snow from roofs

A real snowy winter brings not only joy to children and headache for public utilities, but also creates problems for owners of private houses. We have to think about how to remove the snow local area, entrances to the house and sections of streets. Until we clean it up ourselves, no one will do it for us. But snow tends to accumulate not only on the ground, but also on roofs.

When snow is not a joy

Snow ceases to be a nice decoration for the roof as soon as the thickness of the cover reaches a critical point. But it is better to prevent accumulation of snow mass on the roof. In addition to the fact that this is an additional load on the rafter system, it is also constant thawing and leakage, and as a result, the formation of a large layer of ice.

Ice on the roof is much more difficult to deal with, so it is better to prevent its formation. Constantly getting the roof wet can lead to destruction. rafter system, cause rotting processes, as well as a warm and damp atmosphere - an ideal environment for the formation of mold and fungi. In short, it is necessary to deal with snow on the roof.

Dangerous snow cap

To make it more convincing, we will present the main dangers that lurk in the snow cap on the roof of our house:


There is only one conclusion from this. If in multi-storey buildings The housing office bears all responsibility for snow removal, but in a private house it is the owner’s problem.

Methods for clearing snow from a roof

To implement this method, you only need a cord, a dozen plastic canisters or bottles and assistant. How the design works is clear from the diagram. Still, the most effective is a snow scraper with a telescopic handle.

Types of scrapers for snow removal

Industry offers different models scrapers with a telescopic handle up to 9 meters long. Using such a device, you can easily remove snow from the roof while remaining on the ground and at a safe distance. There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a scraper: important rules, which relate to the materials from which the instrument is made.

Under no circumstances should metal elements be used in contact with roofing materials. No need to explain that soft roof bitumen-based becomes extremely brittle in the cold, so it’s easy to damage it with a sharp metal scraper. The scraper should only be made of plastic or wood. This equally applies to metal roofs, since a steel scraper can hit the joint and damage the integrity of the roofing.

Requirements for scrapers

It is also highly recommended not to remove ice with a scraper. It can also damage the cover. The ice will disappear on its own in the spring, and it is better to prevent its formation in advance. Therefore, the primary task for the scraper is only to remove snow masses.

A snow scraper is a simple and effective thing.

Cleaning the roof from snow and ice

Thanks to the telescopic handle, you can hold it by the ridge, and then use gentle movements to remove, step by step, layer by layer, all the snow from the roof. Naturally, taking all possible safety measures and limiting passage and passage under the house.

You can make a scraper yourself, but before you make such a tool, you need to find either a snow shovel with a minimum weight made of plastic, or simply use plastic plate, securing it L-shaped to the telescopic handle. We will not make any special demands on the strength of either the handle or the scraper itself, since their main task is to move loose snow, and not to fight ice. Good luck to everyone!

Similar articles

Our winters are snowy. If snow continues to fall, the roof will inevitably sag under its weight and care should be taken to remove the snow cover in advance. We're talking about removing snow from the roof. country house using a homemade device.

If the snow is not removed for a long time, the roof underneath it “sits”, and this is fraught with kinks and distortions. window frames, openings, doors, to deformation of the supporting system of the pitched roof itself.

Cleaning roofs is labor-intensive and not safe work; I propose to make such a scraper with your own hands.

Here you see an approximate drawing of a scraper for removing snow from a roof.


The frame is made of pipes, wheels are installed at the edges, which will help move the scraper easier; a long strip of fabric - made of awning or thick synthetic material. Its length should be slightly longer than the roof itself. For the holder, take a pipe or aluminum profile and make it collapsible. To prevent it from bending or breaking due to force pressure, make adapters between pipe sections.

Some people think that there is no need to remove snow, but I think differently, so if you are interested, we are looking at options for devices for removing snow from roofs.

The pictures are clickable.

What to pay attention to.

When you make a scraper for removing snow from the roof, take into account everything: what the roof is made of, what is the height of the house. All parts of your design should have good rigidity, but at the same time not be heavy; The scraper should glide across the roof and not scrape it.

The picture on the right shows that there is a danger that the sharp edge of the scraper will damage the roof.

Another option is simpler to manufacture.

You can buy it in the store sliding handle, and bend a piece of high-strength aluminum into the shape of the letter “P” (width up to 60 cm).

Canvas attached to work surface- This is a frost-resistant film.

I would like to note that on the Internet you can find scrapers, such as a “chopper”. But their disadvantage from these options is that you have to sketch the entire structure from above.

Do-it-yourself snow removal from the roof: quickly and safely

This is both difficult and does not give a good result.

Finally, the option is, in my opinion, very simple.

Of course, these devices will not be able to clear strong ice. But removing fresh snow from the roofs of dacha buildings is quite possible.

The main thing is that you can clear the snow with your own hands, without spending much effort and without risk to your health.

Author of the article: Love

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Light in the life of plants. Signs of excess or lack of light | Hydrogel is an excellent assistant in plant care

Lush caps of snow on a roof look very nice, but homeowners have good reasons to remove those white coverings. Fortunately, today there are many tools to make your work easier.

If you do not clear the snow, its masses will put pressure on the roof, which can lead to subsidence and even collapse. But this is not the only danger. A series of frosts and thaws leads to the formation of ice. In spring, the ice crust melts and water seeps into the smallest cracks in the roofing. At the same time, rafters and others wooden elements structures begin to rot.

It is not yet possible to solve the issue of cleaning the roof without human intervention. Cable systems heating prevents snow from accumulating around the perimeter of the roof and accumulating in gutters, but the bulk of it remains on the slopes. Snow retention systems (grids installed at the edges along the overhangs) save from sudden avalanches, but also do not completely solve the problem. Snow from the roof has to be removed manually. More precisely, using various tools.

Snow shovels

If the roof is flat and you can walk on it without risking your life, the easiest way is to use a regular shovel. But even this simple tool must be chosen wisely. What should you pay attention to first? Of course, onto the ladle.

Shovels with metal bucket durable, but quite heavy. In addition, during operation they produce an unpleasant grinding noise, which can be heard inside the house.

When clearing snow with a metal shovel, you need to act carefully. The sharp edges of the ladle can damage soft roofing materials, for example, bitumen shingles

Wooden shovels also quite heavy, but safe. True, their lifespan is relatively short. Usually, after one or two seasons of use, you have to buy a new tool.

Finally, plastic shovels light, comfortable, but also not very durable. Under influence low temperatures The plastic becomes brittle and breaks easily. Of course, there are models made from high-quality frost-resistant polymers, but they are not cheap.

Now let's talk about the cuttings. It should be comfortable, durable and lightweight. The wooden ones are not very good - they are too smooth, which is why they slip out of your hands, and are quite heavy. Plastic ones are much lighter and more convenient, but they do not withstand the cold well. But the metal cuttings show themselves the best way, although they are relatively expensive.

It is best if the shovel handle has telescopic design. Then the snow can be removed almost without leaving the spot.

Scrapers (scrapers)

If the roof of the house is pitched, it is unsafe to walk on it. It is better to remove snow from the ground using a scraper. Typically, a tool of this kind has a telescopic handle (metal or plastic). But some manufacturers offer prefabricated structures of 3-4 tubes 1.2-1.5 m long. If a very long handle is not needed, you can remove several elbows, thereby reducing the weight of the equipment. And this is very useful, because it sometimes takes several hours to remove snow from the roof, constantly holding your hands up.

When choosing a scraper for cleaning roofs, you should pay attention to its weight. It should not exceed 3 kg, otherwise it will be difficult to work with the tool

The tool's scraper is a long, narrow blade mounted at an angle, much like a garden rake. For most models on the market, it is made of frost-resistant plastic. Metal blades are quite rare. They are more durable than plastic ones, but they are also heavier, more expensive and more dangerous.

When choosing a scraper, you should pay attention to the number of attachment points for the scraper to the handle. It is desirable that there be three of them, not one. It will be stronger this way. Stiffening ribs with reverse side The blades also significantly extend the life of the tool. Some manufacturers equip their models with rubberized pads or plastic brushes, which improves the quality of cleaning.

In addition to the "rake" there is another interesting variety scraper. Instead of a scraper, a metal puller in the form of a loop is attached to its handle rectangular shape. It cuts off layers of snow and they just roll down. Some tools have a special tape - a guide that regulates the movement of the snow flow, but you can do without it.

The main advantage of a scraper with a metal puller is that it allows you to remove huge layers of snow from your roof in one motion. Working with a conventional scraper requires much more time and effort.