During winter, the piling snow and ice on the roof may look beautiful. However, the pretty pile of snow is safe only to a certain weight and thickness. You must not be unfamiliar with the destructive impacts it carries if you live in an area with extreme weather.
Learn the most practical way how to remove snow from a roof with wire from the step-by-step guide provided below.
How to Remove Snow from Roof with Wire
For the majority of homeowners, snowfall stacking on their roofs is not usually an issue. After all, it will melt away as the cold season goes on. Not to mention, in many cases, roofs are built with specifically required building codes to resist the weight of snow according to the particular area – which is based on the local data of heaviest inches of snow record.
That is until the snow creates a risky amount of build-up. Now, it has to be understood that snow thickness is not typically the issue. Instead, it is the type that you have to be concerned about. 6” of wet snow has equal weight to 38” of dry snow.
A square foot of wet snow approximately weighs 21 lbs., while dry snow weighs only about 3 lbs. per square foot. Ice, on the other hand, can reach 57 lbs. per square foot.
There are numerous methods you can use for roof snow removal, according to the utilized tool. There are snow rakes, shovels, wire, rope, steamer, or avalanche systems. Which method is the most suitable to apply depends on the type and intensity of snow on your roof.
Read also: What is a Rake on a Roof
That being said, in the following guide, you will read how to remove snow from the roof with wire.
This method works most effectively on a lean-to or pitched roof. It also works better if two persons grip each end of the wire.
Here are the steps that you should take to perform this wire-cutting snow method:
- Find and cut a wire that has enough length to cover most parts of your roof simultaneously.
- Toss the middle part of your wire on top of the piling snow on the roof, with both of its ends still being held.
- Step backward while dragging the wire’s ends to haul the snow away from the roof. Repeat this step until the snow on the roof is removed enough.
This method has several benefits: budget-friendly, quick, simple, and involves a more robust tool (wire) than a rope. However, it would help if you caution, as wire cutting a massive snow pile may hit you and lead to injuries. It also requires influential people to remove the snow as it’s straining work. Moreover, the setup process involves climbing to the roof, which can be risky.
Winter may give your roof a hard time due to the heavy ice and snow. Beyond their weight, those can cause your roof to be exposed continuously to moisture.
You may practice the steps to remove snow from the top with the wire above as soon as it creates unnecessary weight on the roof to prevent unwanted events. Safely removing snow is crucial, and avoiding sharp tools can help prevent damage to your roofing material.
