Roof Snow Removal in Manchester, NH

When snow on a roof becomes a problem

Fresh powder is light. Wet, packed snow weighs far more at the same depth, and ice more again. Rain on an existing snowpack soaks in and adds weight without adding height, which is why roofs sometimes give out on a mild, rainy day after the storm rather than during it.

Roofs are designed for a snow load set by the building code for their location. New Hampshire's state building code adopts the International Residential Code, which ties roof design to ground snow loads that vary across the state. A roof built to code has margin for a normal winter. Older roofs may not. Cut into one, add onto it, let its rafters rot, and it may have less than it started with.

Devin's own description of most houses he works in: older town-houses, 1800s and 1900s. Those tend to have low-slope porch roofs, dormers, additions. Snow drifts into those spots and stays.

Warning signs inside the house

An interior door that suddenly sticks or won't latch, upstairs especially. Fresh cracks in drywall or plaster, often angling off the corners of doors and windows. Creaking or popping up in the attic. A ceiling that looks like it's dipping. Water stains appearing in the middle of winter.

Any of those after a heavy storm is a reason to get snow off the roof. A sagging ceiling is a reason to get everyone out of that room first. If a roof is visibly bending, nobody should go up on it. Get out and call 911.

Roof rakes, shovels and the shingles underneath

For a one-story roof, or the lower edge of a taller one, a roof rake used from the ground is the safest tool going. It pulls snow off the eaves without anyone on a ladder. Clearing the first few feet above the eave matters most, since that's where ice dams start.

Going up on the roof is a different job. It's slippery, snow hides skylights, vents and the roof edge, and a slide off a two-story eave can kill. Whoever goes up needs fall protection, and should know where they'll stand before they climb.

Don't scrape to bare roof. Leave a thin layer on the shingles. A metal shovel or hard raking strips granules off asphalt shingles. Cold tabs are brittle and crack. Sometimes an edge catches and lifts. Keep metal rakes well clear of the power line coming into the house.

Where the snow lands

Snow pulled off a roof piles up fast. Keep it off doors and walkways and the gas meter. Watch the sidewall vents too: furnace, water heater, dryer. Bury a high-efficiency furnace vent and the furnace may shut down. Or exhaust gets pushed back toward the house.

Before winter hides them, know where the basement windows are. The shrubs. The outdoor AC unit. A slab of snow sliding off a steep or metal roof can flatten any of them.

Why it is on the list, and what to send

"Winter-time Roof snow removal" and "Ice-dam clearing" both sit on the service list Devin gave, next to roofing. That fits a general contractor who calls himself able to do "anything from frame to finish". The trade that builds and shingles roofs knows what's under the snow, and can flag damage that needs a repair once it's clear.

The business's own line is "Message us a photo — we’ll get you a number." Send a ground-level photo of the roof and one of the eaves. Inside, shoot any cracks or doors that stick. How many stories? Is any of the roof low-slope? Say so. Storm-day availability hasn't been published. Call (603) 722-3344 and ask Devin.