How to De-Ice Your Roof This Winter

As we get into the colder months and the weather conditions change, it’s vital to be aware of how to properly maintain your roof: in this case, this is how to de-ice your roof. 

Doing this is important, as an ice build-up on the roof can cause damage to the structure, which could eventually lead to the roof breaking if it’s left long enough. 

Invest in a snow rake

If you leave ice to build up, this can damage the shingles and tiles on your roof and, as a result, cause leaking into your property. Investing in a snow rake to properly manage the build-up of ice from ground level is one easy solution for de-icing your roof, as long as you remember to do this regularly.

Install heat cables

This is another preventative measure and not something to install once the damage has already been done. Heat cables come in the form of zig-zag electric shapes which help to drain water from the roof.

However, it is important to be aware of the fact that they are unable to prevent large sheets of ice from damaging your roof so, depending on the area that you live in and the weather conditions that you are used to, these may or may not be the right de-icing solution for you.

What if the ice has already damaged the roof?

Sometimes, it might be too late to try and de-ice your roof in order to prevent damage. If this is the case for you, then it’s time to get the professionals in. 

When it comes to damage on such a vital (and expensive!) part of your property, it’s sensible to leave the job to the people who know what they are doing, rather than attempting to fix the problem yourself. 

It’s likely that this could end up making it worse through a DIY solution. Plus, it can be dangerous to be up on the roof if you’re not properly trained and, therefore, you could risk hurting yourself in the process.

Here at Exeter Roofing, we offer repairs and maintenance for damaged roofs and roof tiles. For more information about repairing a roof that has been damaged by ice, you can contact us today.