Around 29.5 inches of snow falls on Rangely in a typical winter, and with January lows near 2.6°F, a good share of it stays on the roof between storms. Strong afternoon sun melts the top layer, water runs down to the cold eaves, and it freezes there. Over a few weeks that turns into ice dams, icicles over doorways, and water working its way under shingles.
Our roof snow raking in Rangely takes snow off the lower few feet of the roof, where those problems start. We work from the ground with long rakes whenever we can, protect gutters, vents, and holiday lights, and clear the snow that comes down so it doesn’t block doors, walks, or drive lanes. It’s an add-on to most seasonal snow contracts.
We know how Rangely sun and deep cold build ice along the eaves, so we rake the areas where that damage starts.
Long extension rakes and snow pushers let us clear lower roofs from the ground without scraping shingles or bending gutters.
If a roof doesn't need raking, we'll say so, and if it's beyond safe reach from the ground, we'll tell you that too.
Snow that comes off the roof gets moved away from doors, walks, and foundations before we pack up and leave.
Plenty of Rangely winters pass without a roof ever needing attention. Snow falls, the sun comes out, and it slides or melts off over a few days. The trouble comes during long cold stretches, when storm after storm lands on a roof that never gets warm enough to shed it. Wind piles more snow on the downwind side, behind parapets, and in valleys where two roof planes meet.
The signs that it’s time to rake are usually easy to spot from the yard: thick icicles along the eaves, a ridge of ice building at the roof edge, water stains on interior ceilings near outside walls, or doors that suddenly stick. If you see any of those, it’s worth calling before the next storm adds more.
Ice dams are the main reason we rake roofs in Rangely. Heat from the house and the high desert sun melt snow on the upper roof. The water runs down until it hits the overhang, which sits outside the warm part of the house and stays cold. There it freezes, and each day the ridge of ice grows a little taller. Eventually water backs up behind it and finds its way under the shingles.
Raking the lower three or four feet of the roof takes away the snow that feeds that cycle. It doesn’t fix the underlying heat loss, but it stops the damage from building through the rest of the winter.
Climbing onto a snowy, icy roof in single-digit cold is a bad idea for anyone. We use long extension rakes from the ground on most homes and low buildings, pulling snow down in sections and leaving a thin layer behind so we don’t scrape shingles or pull granules off the surface. Roofs dressed up through our holiday light installation service get raked with the strands in mind.
Taller buildings or roofs we can’t reach safely from below get a different plan, and we’ll tell you honestly if a roof is outside what we can handle. As for how much weight any roof is designed to carry, that’s set by local building requirements, and the Rio Blanco County building department is the right place to ask.
Rangely has a lot of steel shops, equipment buildings, and pole barns tied to the oil field and local businesses. Metal roofs usually shed snow on their own, but when they let go, the slide comes all at once. That can bury doors, crush whatever is parked along the wall, and fill in a lane you just had plowed.
On these buildings, we focus on what’s below the roof as much as the roof itself. We clear overhead door approaches, man doors, and the strip along the wall so vehicles and people aren’t caught underneath the next slide.
Gutters, heat cable, vents, and lights all need care when we rake. Here’s what we watch for on every roof:
If we hung your lights, we already know where every strand and clip sits and work around them. Loose gutters or damaged fascia we notice get passed along for general repairs once the weather breaks.
Snow pulled off a roof doesn’t disappear. It lands in a heavy pile right where people walk, along entrances and the side of the house. Left there, it melts in the afternoon and freezes across the walk overnight.
We move that snow away from doors, walks, and foundations as part of the visit. For properties on a seasonal plan, roof raking can be scheduled alongside regular snow removal, so the lot, the walks, and the roof are all handled on the same Rangely trip.
We look at your roof from the ground, checking eaves, valleys, gutters, vents, and lighting before any snow comes down.
Your free quote covers which roof sections we'll rake, cleanup of fallen snow, and whether it pairs with your snow contract.
We rake the lower roof in sections, leave a thin protective layer on shingles, and knock down icicles over entrances.
We walk the property with you, show you the cleared eaves and walks, and point out any gutter or roof concerns.
