Raising the Temperature to Melt Snow on a Roof

Fire Hazard

• Placing heaters in your attic does heat the roof, but it also presents a fire hazard. Space heaters are not designed to be turned on and left unattended. The heating coils could short out and catch on fire, or something from inside the attic could fall into the coils and create a fire hazard situation.

Condensation

• Your attic is naturally cold in the winter because it is the area where cold is trapped between the roof and insulation. If you have good insulation and proper airflow between your attic and your roof, then the snow on the roof will accumulate rather than melt. If you put an artificial source of heat in your attic to melt the snow, the heat will mix with the cold and create condensation. Mold, which will begin to build up in your roof and in your insulation, could spread to the rest of your home.

Ice Dams

• If you begin to melt the snow from your roof, the resulting water will run down your roof and into your gutters. As the water reaches your gutters, it will begin to freeze into ice and create ice dams. An ice dam in your gutters can cause the water to start leaking into your home, and the weight of the ice dams could cause your gutters to collapse. Heated gutters, or heating tape installed on the edge of your roof and in your gutters, will prevent ice dams and the damage they can cause.

Solution

• You have two solutions when it comes to getting the snow off your roof. The first is a snow rake. This is a device with a plastic shovel head at the end of a telescoping arm. The arm often comes in sections and can reach to the top of the roof of a two-story home. Stand back as far as you can when using a snow rake and always wear goggles to prevent ice and snow from getting into your eyes. If your roof is too tall, or you are physically unable to use a snow rake, then your second option is to call a professional snow removal company.