When should you rake your roof

After a big snow storm (greater than a foot), the question often asked is:  “Should I rake my roof?”  The simple answer is:  it depends. The following should be considered when making that decision:

• The pitch or slope of the roof.

  Low slope and flat roofs tend to accumulate more snow.

• Valleys or intersecting roof lines. The more complex the roof design, the more areas prone to snow accumulation.
• The roof’s structural design — roofs built to modern ICC codes.

  Roofs built to older codes (pre-1975) may not.

• Insulation plan and theory. Gabled roofs built to modern codes are typically designed to have attic temperatures close to ambient temperatures. Finished/warm attics may be more prone to thaw-freeze-thaw cycles, resulting in ice dams and water intrusion.
• Gutters.
• Roof composition.
  Roof rake for snow

  Roofs constructed with layers of ice and water-shield roof sheaving are less likely to suffer from water intrusion due to ice dams at the gutter line.

• Snow density. For a 1-foot depth, snow can range from 3 lbs. per square foot up to 21 lbs
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