How to Get Icy Snow Off the Roof

Purchase a roof rake with a pole long enough to reach your roof. If you live in a bungalow, it's easy to reach the home's roof from the ground below with a telescoping roof rake. To reach the roof on a two-story home, you can stand on a balcony or use an extremely long rake.

Stand under the overhang of the roof and extend the pole on the roof rake as long as is required to reach the roof. If possible, have a family member or friend stand well behind you to tell you when the rake is in position.

Pull the snow on the roof toward the edge in steady movements. If the snow has some degree of ice in it, this process can be difficult. It is best performed on a sunny day, if possible. Continue pulling the snow toward the edge of the roof until you are able to lessen the amount of snow on the roof, especially toward the edges. Repeat this process throughout the day, especially if it's sunny. As the sun melts the snow toward the roof's peak, the snow will slide down to where you can reach it with the rake.