Snow blowing on a 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