Most roofs shed a light snow on their own. Trouble starts when storms stack up, wind drifts snow into valleys and against walls, or melt at the eaves refreezes into ice dams that hold even more snow in place. That’s when pulling snow off the roof edge starts to make a real difference.
Roof snow raking in Dinosaur is done from the ground with long-handled roof rakes, so nobody climbs onto an icy roof. Dinosaur is a long drive out for our crews, so we plan raking on a seasonal schedule and add visits after bigger storms for properties on the list. We clear eaves, valleys, and drift areas, and clean up the snow that comes down around doors and walks.
We know Dinosaur roofs range from older homes to metal shops, so we plan raking around how each roof holds snow.
Long-reach roof rakes with soft heads let us pull snow from the ground without scraping shingles or metal panels.
If a roof shows signs of stress, we'll tell you it needs a qualified professional instead of just raking it.
Snow that comes off the roof gets moved away from doors, walks, and vents before we pack up and leave.
A roof rake is a wide, flat head on a long, extendable pole. Standing on the ground, you reach up, set the head on the snow near the edge, and pull it down. Done right, it removes the heaviest band of snow along the eaves without anyone stepping onto a slick, sloped surface. It also spares the roof from boot traffic, which can crack cold shingles and dent metal panels.
Raking isn’t about scraping the roof bare. Leaving a thin layer protects shingles and metal panels from the rake head. The goal is to take off enough weight and open up the lower edge so melt can drain instead of backing up under the snow.
Dinosaur got its start in the 1940s, back when it was platted as Artesia, so the buildings around town cover a wide range of ages and roof styles. Older homes, newer builds, manufactured homes, metal shops, and carports all hold snow differently. A steep metal roof might shed on its own after a sunny afternoon, while a low-slope addition or carport can hold everything that lands on it.
During a fall walkthrough, we look at each roof on the property and note which ones need attention after a storm and which ones usually take care of themselves. We also look at where snow will land when it comes down, since a roof that dumps onto a walkway or a gas meter needs a different approach than one that drops into an open yard.
You don’t need to measure anything to know when snow is becoming a problem. A few things to watch for:
Any sign of sagging or structural stress is worth having a qualified professional look at, not just raking.
Dinosaur is a planned trip for us, so we don’t promise to show up the moment a storm ends. Instead, properties on a seasonal raking plan are on our list, and we schedule visits after heavier storms or when snow has stacked up over several smaller ones. Many owners combine raking with snow removal in Dinosaur so the roof and the lot are handled on one trip.
Snow pulled off a roof has to land somewhere, and it often lands right in front of a door or across a walk. We clear that snow before we leave, so the path out of the house or shop is open again when we pack up.
Raking near the edge means working around everything attached to it. Gutters can bend if a rake catches them, so we pull at an angle that keeps the head above the gutter lip. Vents and exhaust outlets on lower roofs get uncovered so appliances can breathe. If your roofline has seasonal or permanent lights, we work carefully around clips and track.
That’s a common combination in December, and if you’re planning a display, our holiday light installation crew lays out strands so they’re easier to rake around.
Raking often turns up problems that are easier to see once the snow is gone. Ice dams that keep forming in the same spot usually point to heat escaping through the attic or poor ventilation. Gutters that pulled loose or fascia that’s gone soft show up in spring.
Gutter and trim fixes are smaller jobs our general repairs service can take on in the warmer months. Insulation and ventilation questions are best answered by a roofer or an energy contractor, and fixing them can cut down on how often the roof needs raking next winter.
We walk around each building with you, noting roof pitch, drift areas, gutters, vents, and any lights on the roofline.
Your quote lists which roofs we rake, how we schedule visits after storms, and how fallen snow gets cleared.
Crews rake eaves, valleys, and drift spots from the ground, then clear the snow away from doors and walks.
After the season, we point out ice dam spots and loose gutters or trim that should be fixed before next winter.
