DIY Melting Snow From a Roof

Coat your roof with rock salt, which melts snow and ice quickly. Apply a fresh batch of rock salt onto the entire roof every four hours until snow has melted. Unfortunately, the salt will damage the shingles on your roof if it's not washed away, so rinse your roof with a water hose as soon as temperatures rise above freezing for a few hours.

Lay plywood across the bottom boards of the roof joists in your attic to form a floor. Cover the joists so the insulation is well-protected. Place a construction-grade space heater onto the plywood platform. Turn on the heater and allow it to heat your attic enough to completely melt the snow off the roof. Don't use this method if your attic is not properly vented, as the fumes from these heaters are toxic.

Hook a water hose to the outlet drain on your hot water heater or to a deep sink equipped with hot water. Turn on the water and spray the roof to melt the snow. Only employ this process if the ambient air temperature outside is above freezing.