Hi there!
It’s my first winter in the Midwest and I purchased a roof rake this morning (avalanche deluxe) - the wheels one. I don’t have much upper arm strength and I’m quite short. When reaching it up and over an old drift (dry shingles above it and snow below), I accidentally dropped the roof rake too fast and it hit the roof harder than I imagine is ideal… would I have damaged anything? My partner actually drives plows so he wasn’t home and I’m so embarrassed. The blade is plastic. Wheels plastic too.
I don’t think it’d puncture or anything would it?
I’m sorry if this is a bad question, understand if it’s not relevant but didn’t know where else to turn.
I doubt you did any damage
Follow up question - can you use these things at an angle or do they need to be straight up and down? Trying to avoid getting even further away from the roof.
From my experience, using it at an angle makes it seem more likely to dig a corner into a shingle. You probably still won’t make a hole, but you might knock gravel off the shingle. And that gravel protects the underlying material from sun damage. So best to preserve that as much as possible.
I would also encourage you to use the roof rake sparingly and to wait until the snowstorm is done so that you don’t have to use it multiple times for one snowfall. In today’s storm, you’ll find that snow will blow around overnight and that there may be less snow on your roof by tomorrow due to that.
Do you roof rake?
I do, but usually only a few times each winter when I’m concerned about ice dams forming.
That makes sense: that’s the only reason I went out. I did about 5 foot wide by 4 ft high. Just the vent area where it’s high melt
Also there is no urgent need to rake the roof while it's snowing and then only if you have potential ice dam issues.
Yea I had a damn starting above our back door so got the heavy snow off before today’s storm
It's okay. Don't worry about it.
Can you use these things at an angle?
No. Believe it or not straight to jail.
Great episode
just watched that clip!
I really doubt you punctured anything. The points of impact would be likely be the wheels, and the hail we routinely get in the summer has more of an impact on your roof than this ever would (and hail is a much harder substance as well)
And even if I used it at a slight angle? I wouldn’t have hit anything
Don’t worry about it. Grit and stuff come off asphalt shingles all the time and you probably have 1/8” of snow between you and the shingle anyway. Getting the snow off the first few feet of is the most important part here.
These shingles were completely bare since we’ve been so warm. They were melting down into snow that was starting an ice dam so I got the rake to kill that. The wheels and rake head went on the bare shingles
Don’t sweat it, it’s plastic versus something graded for hail. Getting the snow off is more important for the long term health of your roof. I don’t know why people are fear mongering unless they have a product to sell. One guy on another thread was very anti-roof raking, turns out he installs ice dam wires.
Coming from someone who also suffers from some anxiety - you’re fine. Dropping this on the roof won’t do anything. Take a deep breath.
No, don’t use them at an angle, but even if you did, I’m sure the roof is fine.
I just messaged you if you have time! Thank you
Here ya go- https://youtube.com/shorts/smJNC990clI?si=-rpvy8mtm4lqN2Bf
Well I didn’t need to do what I did BUT I didn’t do it that rough so I’m good! Thank you Perry
Hard to know without being able to see it but roof rakes will probably damage your shingles if you use them a lot - just by the higher nature of having an accidental slip like you had.
That is why the rake is now going back in the box and I won’t be using it again. Got it for one purpose and I don’t like it. One slip is okay tho I’d imagine? I mean people literally shovel off their roofs from the roof
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If you've got a reasonably new roof, there should be barriers in place to prevent water from getting inside and causing problems even if you have an ice dam. If you decide to rake anyway, an Avalanche Snow Rake (or similar) is a bit easier to wrangle. You basically push a plastic chute under the snow and it slides down it like a slip-and-slide. The two wheels are really the only possible points of contact so the chances of roof damage are minimal.
Also, roofs are tough. It'll be OK.
Maybe a small ding or some granule loss, but probably nothing major. Just try to take a look at it when conditions allow you or your partner to.
I’m sure the wheels did most of it. Can’t be worse than walking on it to clear its
Last question for you - my rake got caught near the eave in the hardened frozen snow. I yanked it out at a downward angle because I didn’t want to push it up. Was that the right motion?
Hm not sure, but it’s probably fine if you didn’t hear or feel anything tear.
You’re definitely not going to hear your shingles tear, and I highly doubt you’ll be able to feel it with a roof rake.
Would see them rip off tho as you rake down but in a downward motion where I did break ice off the shingles should be perfect
You may not need it. Ask your builder if there is a moisture barrier under your shingles
the one i wanted was... $300? $160? at ace maybe... i decided to wait. it's been 13 years. i'd still LIKE one but with global warming, is it necessary now? i dunno.
You shouldn't need a roof rake unless you have shit insulation in your attic
I had to zoom in on the picture because it doesn't look anything like the avalanche snow rake I own.
ETA: I saw in in the local ACE a couple of years back and immediately retired the aluminum 'shingle scraper' I had been using for years.
I just messaged you if you have some time?
I didn’t get the tarp version!
I love it. No "lift/drop/pull/push/pull". Just put it in place right on the edge, and push up the roof, and a column of snow comes sliding down. If you want to have some fun, convince someone you need them to hold the plastic slide taught as you do the first push. It only works once/person at best.
[deleted]
(Joking right?)
Ooooo he's gonna be so mad!!
Does OP know? DO THEY KNOW?? D-d-d'o they know they're an ad?