The local climate and your home's specific needs must be considered when selecting the proper method for roof snow removal in Enterprise. Snow accumulation can vary tremendously in this community, and certain areas may be more prone to heavy snow. Therefore, the best professional service will devise a strategy that is custom to your specific situation to prevent damage to your roof and ensure safety. Some roofs are delicate and just require a lightweight method. Others are built to withstand more rigorous techniques, like roof raking. A near-vertical pitch may be how your roof is designed, but this also means it likely snows a lot on your roof, and that snow tends to slide off. Therefore, if you use a service that doesn't really know what it's doing, you could be getting a very lightweight method when a more aggressive approach is what's called for. On the other hand, if you use a service that's just going to get in there and do some heavy lifting, they could end up really damaging your roof.
Homeowners in Enterprise have a few typical methods they might use to remove accumulated snow from their roofs. The roof rake is a popular choice, a specially designed tool that allows you to safely pull snow off the roof while you remain on the ground. If there is a lot of snow, or if it is really deep, another option is to use heated cables. These work well to prevent dangerous ice dams, gradually melting the snow and keeping it moving so it doesn't back up on the roof. Some homeowners also use chemicals. While they work, you have to be careful doing them and using them, because you don't want to damage any roofing materials. "For the most part, if you have a lot of snow on the roof, that's kind of a professional job," McDonald said. "They will usually shovel it. Some will use steam. They may use hot water, but that's a last resort, because you don't want to get the roof wet and then have the water freeze."
The advantages and disadvantages of the different methods of snow removal must be understood to make an informed choice. Manual raking puts you in command, but shoveling at a height can lead to dangerous roof slides. The safest method, for humans and roofs, may just be raking, provided you're fit and not afraid of heights. Heated roof cables are another popular method. They work on the assumption that roofs need to be kept in the same condition as eaves and gutters. "You don't want snow and ice to build up there either," Bruening says. "The heat's got to keep working and working and working."
