Metal Roof Avalanche

Whisky

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It's too late for this year obviously, but I wished my roofer would have informed me about snow guards when he put my metal roof on (and I had more common sense at the time). I have about 1.5-2ft of snow sitting on top of about 10" solid ice. This is a disaster in the making. Shit ton of ice to come sliding off. It's on the side where I have my driveway and deck too. The other side has already slid off.... I moved the BGE out of the line of fire but my gasser is frozen in. I will have to start parking my pickup further out in the yard until she lets loose.

Anything I can do now to mitigate the damage? I tried to get on the roof this weekend but that ain't happening without a nice fall off the roof. Too slippery. Tried to reach it with my tractor bucket and that was no go. Does anybody know how you can safely get around on metal roofs in the winter?
 


guywhofishes

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can you cut it out? working from the ends? Start in sections - so only small sections fall?

start a few ft from eaves, cut down, then cut along roof toward eaves - freeing the bottom section

leap frog your way up

use low stretch small diameter rope or coated wire rope so you don't scratch roof

 

espringers

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and yes... please don't try walk on it. even the slightest sloped metal roof can be amazingly slick.
 


Retired Educator

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Besides the ice guards you will want to install when it thaws, I would look into why you have 10 inches of ice on the roof. Unless you have had a lot of rain this winter it would appear that you are loosing way to much heat through your attic.
 

guywhofishes

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can you cut it out? working from the ends? Start in sections - so only small sections fall?

start a few ft from eaves, cut down, then cut along roof toward eaves - freeing the bottom section

leap frog your way up

use low stretch small diameter rope or coated wire rope so you don't scratch roof



sorry - missed the thick ice part - ha ha

- - - Updated - - -

post pics plz
 

lunkerslayer

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Do you have adequate roof vents to remove excess warm air from your attic. Regardless you will always have some warm air inside your attic should have soffit vents to help with excess heat even during the summer months.
 

riverview

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I have snow guards on the side of my garage roof where my doors are this weeked I took 2 feet of snow off it and there wasn't any ice under the snow except below the snow guards.
sounds to me like you are loosing a lot of heat through your roof. on the parts of my roof with out snow guards the roof is bare. I believe it is code to have snow guards above any doors or sidewalks.
 

aron

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Snow rake to get the snow off now in small chunks before it all slides off in one large chunk. With the snow off, some of the ice should slowly melt. Hopefully there isn't 10" of ice throughout the whole roof. Look into the Avalanche roof rake.
 


Lungdeflator

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Don't listen to these guys! Get your buddies together, get a couple racks of blue num-nums, and make it a contest. See who can get the farthest across the roof without falling off!

Seriously though, the times I have dealt with lots of snow on metal roofs, sometimes you can get it off in sections, other times you take that first section off and then the rest comes right down, just like an avalanche.
One thing to try, with the warmer weather coming up, expose the first 2-3 ft of metal and let the sun so some melting. It'll probably all come down at once so don't be standing there.
 

Ericb

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I'd agree you have somthing causing to much heat in the attack. My son left the hatch to the attack open last week. Took a little but i figure out why our house had 4ft icicles all over when no one else did.

I have a roof rake with several extensions if you need it. Located in Bis.
 

Whisky

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Do you have adequate roof vents to remove excess warm air from your attic. Regardless you will always have some warm air inside your attic should have soffit vents to help with excess heat even during the summer months.

Good question. Answer is no. I have soffit vents, but that's it. Apparently my roofer sucked, because I don't have any other venting besides the soffit. I looked in the attic for another project a couple weeks ago and it's all frost above the bedroom area.
 

mikef

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Good question. Answer is no. I have soffit vents, but that's it. Apparently my roofer sucked, because I don't have any other venting besides the soffit. I looked in the attic for another project a couple weeks ago and it's all frost above the bedroom area.
the ridge cap might be vented
 


lunkerslayer

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You could get away with a gable end vents frost coulda be a sign of condensation which could cause mold down the road. But depending on the area of the attic a large vent in the gable end could do the trick. As far as for ice and snow build up invest in a roof rake.
 

wslayer

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If You can, try to pull some off with a roof rake. As soon as roof starts warming tomorrow, all hell will break loose. Coming all at once. Keep any kids or pets indoors or way away from roof line.
 

CatDaddy

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Keep any kids or pets indoors or way away from roof line.

Hey - #adultlivesmattertoo !!

In all seriousness, sorry to hear your dilemma. Not one I wish on friends, regardless of the reason.

Set up a time lapse or trail cam to capture the epicness, just so you at least have something from the ordeal.....
 

BrokenBackJack

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It's too late for this year obviously, but I wished my roofer would have informed me about snow guards when he put my metal roof on (and I had more common sense at the time). I have about 1.5-2ft of snow sitting on top of about 10" solid ice. This is a disaster in the making. Shit ton of ice to come sliding off. It's on the side where I have my driveway and deck too. The other side has already slid off.... I moved the BGE out of the line of fire but my gasser is frozen in. I will have to start parking my pickup further out in the yard until she lets loose.

Anything I can do now to mitigate the damage? I tried to get on the roof this weekend but that ain't happening without a nice fall off the roof. Too slippery. Tried to reach it with my tractor bucket and that was no go. Does anybody know how you can safely get around on metal roofs in the winter?

Where are you located?
 


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