Snow blowing on a roof

[skyhook]

Every winter ( yes its coming soon :smiley_aafz I have to shovel snow off our tin roof,
just wondering if anyone has used a small snow blower set-up for this.
You know, just leave the thing up there and when needed, start er up and blow that stuff off.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have seen pics of people blowing off store roofs out west. Don't know more than that. Ed

 

[brown40]

A local Nursing Home that shut down had their new membrane roof destroyed the winter after it was installed by a snowblower. There was a video of a device someone built with a rectangular box and 'crazy carpet' type sledding material that looked pretty slick. I've raked and shoveled off tons of snow and ice through the years. On my list of least favorite jobs--huge pucker factor. I bet theres a video on Youtube--it would be a snap to fabricate.

 

[Egon]

See blowers on flat topped buildings here.

Tin roof-snow-slope may equal slippery footing?

 

[Toyboy]

I've heard of them doing it, but as I recall they were using electric snow blowers because of their light weight.

 

[skyhook]

See blowers on flat topped buildings here.

Tin roof-snow-slope may equal slippery footing?

Ya, I hear ya but I have a "low-slope" tin, and it can't be any more slippery than doing it with a scraper.

 

[dave1949]

Maybe one of those light weight "power shovel" types that use rubber paddles to fling the snow would work.

 

[GLyford]

I had an older 2-stage, which died a slow death of carburetor issues (would run at any time unless there was snow on the ground).

I was given a toro single stage to "get by" with until I could find another big machine...and I've fixed up the single stage a bunch of times to just keep using it.

I replaced the starter gear, gas tank, rubber paddles, leading edge, leading edge support (bent it up too many times catching it on patio blocks) drive belt, and fuel primer. Because that "little" 2-stroke* is easy to use (the bottom is a "rocker", there are no drive wheels...tilt the machine forward and it pulls itself along on the paddles, which also means slowing down in heavy drifts is as simple as standing still and letting the handle down a bit) and has chewed through just about everything we have thrown at it, in the snowy northeast. Did I mention electric start? Though when the primer is working correctly, I don't even use that (just have to remember that it needs primer AND choke).

*little 2-stroke is about 5 hp, but uses half the fuel of the unit it replaced

So anyway, I highly recommend one of the little rubber paddle single-stage 2-strokes. Bonus is they can usually be found cheap, they made a lot of them, and parts aren't hard to find.

I have not had as good results from anything electric, snow+salt+electric usually ends up releasing magic smoke somewhere down the line, but maybe that's just ones I have used, which admittedly have all been of the well abused tag sale variety.

 

[oosik]

Rancher down the road has a small, gas snow blower that he has occasionally used on his outbuilding roofs. His house has a steep pitch metal roof that always sheds the snow.

His outbuilding roofs are heavy galvanized metal and I don't think he has ever damaged a roof with the small blower. He got to close to the edge one year, the blower went on over the edge, he held on with the idea of pulling it back, it pulled him over also. No broken bones but he was pretty sore for a couple weeks.

 

[bellweather]

I assume you have a flat roof?
I use a roof rake, which works well on a sloped roof and can be used without having to climb onto the roof

 

[MossRoad]

Every winter ( yes its coming soon :smiley_aafz I have to shovel snow off our tin roof,
just wondering if anyone has used a small snow blower set-up for this.
You know, just leave the thing up there and when needed, start er up and blow that stuff off.

How big a tin roof and how much pitch are you talking about? There may be better ways. Of course, you may get way more snow than our better ways seem to us, of course. :laughing:

 

[skyhook]

lol, we get plenty of snow here, it seems the snow gods live right over top of us
my tin roof is about a 2/12 pitch, 14 feet long by 24 wide and attached to the 4/12 of our chalet.
Its not uncommon to get a couple feet in a hurry if I don't monitor it. These old bones take a beating every time I go up there. Thanks for all the input guys.
We are right on the river also, so the winds and drifts get pretty bad also, the wind blows the snow off the chalet onto the rear section constantly.

 

[oosik]

We have only got a lot of snow 2X, that I can remember, in the 30+ years I've been here. "Lots of snow" equals > 2 feet. Normal is around 2 feet. When I was building the house - Pan Abode - I fell off the roof one time. I DO NOT go on the roof in the winter. At my age - if I fell off - I think I'd just have to lie there and hope the dog brought me food & water. Experience has taught me that the ground is pretty hard.

 

[skyhook]

We have only got a lot of snow 2X, that I can remember, in the 30+ years I've been here. "Lots of snow" equals > 2 feet. Normal is around 2 feet. When I was building the house - Pan Abode - I fell off the roof one time. I DO NOT go on the roof in the winter. At my age - if I fell off - I think I'd just have to lie there and hope the dog brought me food & water. Experience has taught me that the ground is pretty hard.

Fell off my backhoe once:confused2:there was no snow for a cushion either. Someone has to do it, lol

 

[Toyboy]

I was up on my almost flat front porch roof shoveling the snow off. When I started to come off the roof the ladder and me went backwards into the yard. Luckily for me I landed in the pile of snow I'd made, nice soft landing. I laid there a minute laughing at myself, then hurried up to get vertical so no one would see what happened. Other then the big snow angel in the yard, no one ever knew.

 

[MossRoad]

2/12 is pretty low. Can't really use a roof rake can you? You'd be pulling tons of snow by hand with little gravity to help you. If the roof is strong, I'd see no reason to not us a manageable sized blower up there.

 

[herringchoker]

Maybe one of those light weight "power shovel" types that use rubber paddles to fling the snow would work.

I used one of those (a hand-me-down) and it worked very well. It eventually cooked its motor and that's when I invested in a roof rake. 4/12 pitch on both my roofs.

 

[dave1949]

I used one of those (a hand-me-down) and it worked very well. It eventually cooked its motor and that's when I invested in a roof rake. 4/12 pitch on both my roofs.

I use a roof rake too for the bottom 8' or so. Eventually I usually need to get on the roof and do some pushing with a plastic snow shovel. My metal roof is around 3/12 pitch. I've found even at that low angle if snow or ice gets under my boots, I can't stop sliding down without sitting down. The roof eave is only 4' above the ground and plenty of snow to land on anyways. I've taken some funny (but not dangerous) rides when a big section of snow breaks loose and starts down the roof.

 

[Garandman]

Around here you see folks with a winch arm on the roof, a small shed, or they just leave it on the roof under a cover. Ariens at least have a lifting lug on the engine. But some weigh over 300 lbs. A video on YouTube mentions bringing one up a ladder but doesn't demonstrate.

Sure seems like a light single stage would be easier. We use a roof rake with an extra section.

 

[jaotguy]

electric blower or "snow shovel" woks well ... not throwing snow a great distance or height ... stop well short of the edge with any unit , so You don't fall off too .

any snow along the edge is well supported by the wall beneath