Uintah County designs roofs to carry 30 pounds per square foot of snow, and most roofs handle an ordinary Fort Duchesne winter without trouble. The trouble comes from where snow collects. Wind piles it into valleys, against taller walls, and behind chimneys, and the cold keeps it from going anywhere for weeks. Snow that has settled and soaked up meltwater also weighs a lot more than fresh powder.
Our roof snow raking service in Fort Duchesne takes snow off the parts of the roof that carry the most risk: the eaves, where ice dams form, and the drift zones where weight concentrates. Whenever the roof allows it, we work from the ground with long rakes. We clear the snow that lands below, too, so doors, walks, and meters stay open.
We know Fort Duchesne cold keeps snow on roofs for weeks, so we focus on the eaves and drift spots where problems start.
Long roof rakes, plastic shovels, and safety gear let us clear snow from the ground or roof without scraping the surface.
If your roof is carrying its snow just fine, we'll tell you that rather than booking a visit you don't need yet.
We clear the snow that comes down, open doorways and meters, and leave walks passable before we pack up.
Uintah County uses a design roof snow load of 30 pounds per square foot, based on a ground snow load of 39 pounds per square foot. In plain terms, roofs here are built to carry a solid winter’s worth of snow. The catch is that those numbers assume the weight is spread out fairly evenly, and real snow rarely cooperates.
Wind strips snow off one side of a roof and dumps it on the other. It fills valleys, piles up against a second story wall, and stacks behind chimneys and parapets. Snow also gets denser as it settles and absorbs meltwater, so the same depth can weigh a lot more in February than it did in December. Roof snow raking targets those heavy spots before they become a problem.
Ice dams start with heat. Warm air from inside the house leaks into the attic and warms the roof deck, melting snow from underneath. That water runs down to the eaves, which hang out past the warm part of the house and stay cold. There it freezes, and the ridge of ice grows with each cycle until water backs up under the shingles.
Dry air and cold nights keep that cycle going all winter in Fort Duchesne. Raking the lower few feet of the roof takes away the snow that feeds the dam. It works well alongside regular snow removal that keeps the driveway open while the roof gets its own attention.
Houses tend to get the attention, but unheated buildings often carry the most snow. Sheds, carports, detached garages, and metal shops don’t have warmth from inside to help melt anything, so snow sits until the weather turns. Many have low-slope roofs where snow doesn’t slide off, and some have framing that has been through a lot of winters already.
On low-slope and metal roofs, we remove snow carefully and leave a thin layer on the surface so tools never scrape the roofing itself. We also keep an eye on where snow will slide, since a metal roof can shed a whole section at once onto whatever sits below it.
You don’t need to climb up to know a roof needs attention. These signs are visible from the yard or from inside:
If you notice sagging or binding doors, keep people out of that area and have a qualified professional look at the structure before anyone goes up.
Raking done carelessly can do more harm than the snow. Metal rake edges can tear shingles, catch flashing, and knock vent caps loose. We use rakes made for roofs, keep the blade riding on the snow rather than the shingles, and leave a thin base layer behind so the roofing stays protected.
If you have seasonal lights clipped to the gutters or eaves, let us know before we start. We work around them carefully, and if a strand does get knocked loose, our holiday light installation crew can put it back where it belongs.
Snow raked off a roof lands in one heavy pile, usually right in front of doors, walks, and gas or electric meters. We clear that drop zone before we leave so exits open, meters stay reachable, and nobody has to climb over a snowbank to get inside.
A rough winter can still leave its mark. Come spring, take a look for bent gutters, loose fascia boards, or damaged trim along the eaves. Our general repairs service can take care of those fixes once the weather warms up in Fort Duchesne.
We look over your Fort Duchesne roof from the ground, noting drifts, ice at the eaves, vents, gutters, and anything below the drop zone.
Your free quote covers which roof areas we rake, whether roof access is needed, and cleanup of the snow that comes down.
Our crew rakes eaves and drift areas, leaves a thin protective layer on the roofing, and works carefully around gutters and vents.
We clear doorways, walks, and meters below, then walk the area with you and point out any ice or damage we noticed.
