Need advice - how to get my shop snoload to slide off

[Snow Flake]

The builder that built my 24 X 36 pole building in LaPine told me if I ever was worried about the snow getting to heavy on the roof, to just put a 4 X 4 prop under the center of each truss. The shop was built to take the snow load so I never had to do that but it is cheap insurance if you can't get the snow off it.

It was a metal roof 5/12 pitch and the snow would slide off after a couple hours running a space heater. About the time the temperature hit 50 degrees inside.

 

[revpilot]

I used a 100' (disposable) extension cord once, threw it parallel to the ridge line, plugged it into a 1500 watt heater to draw lots of juice and then waited a few hours. The warm cord melts down through the ice and then we pulled on both ends of it- ker whoosh! Tried it again last year and it didn't work

One thing to add to your worry box: My neighbors roof on his pole barn let loose finally and unloaded all at once on the sunny side but the North side didn't and it sheared sideways, seems it was engineered to hold a lot of weight straight up but not from one side.

 

[Ridgerat]

2 guys, 100 feet of rope guy on either end of the building, start at the edge, say 2 feet in, use the rope like a saw and work the rope up the slope, a couple of feet at a time, you'll move alot more snow than you think, it'll slab off pretty good.

In highschool we used to clear roof tops for gas money and this was a very quick method to git er done. Only trouble is vent pipes and such.

Another similar method is to use a tarp, 2 ropes and 2 guys. Tie each rope to a corner then see-saw the tarp under the snow starting at the bottom edge. As the tarp cuts under the snow it will slide over the tarp and off the roof. Make sure you are off to the side far enough to avoid the roof avalanche thing. You can do this from ladders or from the roof. We would 1st shovel a path up up sides from the bottom to the top, so we had somewhere to stand and work. For large roofs we would shovel some paths in the middle to split it up into smaller sections.

Anyway, I hope that makes sence. I made most of my gas money that way in school. We would bid a house or shop job and then go clear it in 30 minutes to an hour. When we would go back in to collect some people had to come out and look cause they couldn't believe it was already done!

 

[sixpoint]

Definitely rent a big herman nelson type propane or kerosene heater. Let it burn inside for a day or so and stand back. The snow will come off slick like grain through a goose.

Assuming you have a tin roof though.

 

[Polar Express]

the 4x4 vertical prop is a good stop-gap just in case. And, I'd do that before getting up on the roof to remove the snow. (you could even use 2x4's too)

The fun part of my work is on roofs in all kinds of condition and dont' have much time to think about it, and im comfortable with that kind of stuff.

If you used a ladder to the edge of the roof, and shoveled a place for you to stand, and then just kept shovelling, you'd remove more weight from snow than you would add, and you'd eventually get your roof clear. But I'd make sure that I put the ladder at the peak and worked my way Down, so if the snow slid, it didnt take you with it!

... but, this is just a nickel's worth of free advice. If I was closer, i'd be happy to give you a hand!

 

[m8magicandmystery]

Throw a rope from one side to the other.
Have a peron on the ground at each end of rope securing the rope.
Now someone can safely go up on roof while hanging onto (better yet, tieing off to) rope.

that works ...and as well just with the two people see /saw the rope back and forth as deep down as ya get as you make your way back and forth the length of the building..you will cut most of the layer...should slide easy then or make it easier for long roof shovel

 

[xrated]

Just asking but could you heat it with a construction heater? I helped my elderly neighbor rake the roof of his hip roofed garage (20x20) and it wasnt to bad but it only had a foot of snow on it.

On my old mans big pole shed(no dimsensions but it can fit a wood mizer mill, and tractor lengthwise with 20 extra feet dang near as wide) we have always fired up the old salamander heater and let it run for a few hours. Gets warm enough to slide the roof. Ohh and the shop is uninsulated.

 

[H20SKE]

I am with Graveler---Heat the shop with a Heater and watch it slide.

Did it in Montana the same way.

Recomendation: Kerosene Torpedeo Heater--200,000 to 300,000 BTU unit.

Result---2 hours--one clear roof.


H20SKE...

 

[snojunkee]

work party

i,m going to easton saturday to shovel off my stuff.i will stop by if you still need help.i,ve got a propane torpedo heater if you want to borrow that.tried to get up there yesterday,but with theroads being closed,decided to stay home.good luck.pm me if you want help saturday.

 

[Snowizard]

I used to be more concerned about snow load, than I am now after what happened to my 36 X 48 pole shed back in July '08. A bad thunderstorm dropped this 80ft tall 30 inch diameter at the base, Red Oak across the entire roof.
The portion on the roof was 18 inches to 2ft in diameter.
The trusses are southern yellow pine, and tough as steel, and were unharmed. Lots of perlins crushed though, and 1/2 of the roof steel had to be replaced. Nothing inside was damaged, side walls unharmed, but roof leaked bad, obviously. Only 3 weeks from damage to full repair, I thought was excellent service.
Tree service $1,200
Building damage $4,600
Happy to pay my $700 deductable!

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[CleElum Sledhead]

You folks are awesome.

Thanks for all the advice and offers for heaters. I hope to have a heater today, but if not, I will PM a couple of you.

I am also going to try a few of the other ideas.

Thanks again.

 

[Mafesto]

I used to be more concerned about snow load, than I am now after what happened to my 36 X 48 pole shed back in July '08. A bad thunderstorm dropped this 80ft tall 30 inch diameter at the base, Red Oak across the entire roof.
The portion on the roof was 18 inches to 2ft in diameter.
The trusses are southern yellow pine, and tough as steel, and were unharmed. Lots of perlins crushed though, and 1/2 of the roof steel had to be replaced. Nothing inside was damaged, side walls unharmed, but roof leaked bad, obviously. Only 3 weeks from damage to full repair, I thought was excellent service.
Tree service $1,200
Building damage $4,600
Happy to pay my $700 deductable!

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Was that the July 30 storm that I posted a bunch of pics from?

(The wind blew & the sh*t flew thread)

 

[ruffryder]

If you have that much snow on the roof, make sure you clean off the sides of the shop so that the snow has somewhere to go. I have seen shops/barns bend in on the side from all the snow be put against the walls. Something to think before all that snow comes slamming down from the roof.

 

[Snowizard]

Mafesto, I remember the pics you posted about that storm. The 30th was my birthday.
No, this storm was July 11th. Lots of boats sunk, and boat lifts flipped. I never put my boat or lift in the lake last season. Lucky me.

My point of posting these now was if the building can take the blow from that tree hitting it, and it probably weighed a couple tons literally, Im not worried about snow load.
Now I know folks out west get a lot more snow that we do (although we are having finally an old fashioned winter this year ) but still I'm impressed with this building so far. Builder was Structural Buildings out of Becker,MN.

 

[Bman]

If you want a sure fire way to get the snow to come down... park something expensive under it.

Honestly though. 80 LB/SqFt shouldn't even blink at a wet 3' snow load. Remember most of the water runs below the surface of the snow and down to your gutters or straight off the building. Not as much added weight unless you're concerned for the wall strenght. Got any pics of the shop with the snow on it?

 

[kinge]

don't worry about it. Over her in Chelan county they start making public service announcements if we are approaching the snowload that code requires.

80 # is a LOT of snow. Way more than a couple of feet

You can kind of figure the weight if you know how much water equivalent has come out of the sky. Or think about that a cubic foot of water is 62 lbs. You are good to 16 inches of water which would probably be 8 - 10 feet of snow at least.

As soon as it warms up it will all come down.

Jeb

 

[IWantATurbo]

here is how i did it. i was tied to a tree on both sides could not go down eather side. works great if it is sunny out

 

[CleElum Sledhead]

I rented a 170,000 BTU heater and it has been going three hours so far. No sliding yet, but it is dripping water at a rapid rate. Hopefully any time now.

 

[SilverGriz]

Keep the heat going strong....it will slide so stay clear of the area.

 

[boone]

Ever used the ether trick to seat the bead on a truck tire. Yeah... I was getting really pissed and may have gotten a little carried away with the ether. And when I say a little, I mean that the tire almost took my head off on its way to the celing. Scared the sh!t right outa myself. And to top it all off, when I went out to start my truck to go home I found that it was now parked inside a snow bank and it also had a busted windshield. Moral of the story, limit yourself to a half a can of ether and don't park too close to the shop. On the bright side, I learned a new way to clear the roof and I got the bead to seat on the truck tire. However.. it was kinda hard to explain the dent in roof to the old man.

Boone