Leaving snow on the roof can cause thousands in damage

WINTHROP, Maine (WABI) - A 45 minute task such as getting the snow off your roof can save you thousands. That’s what Matt McDougal with HM Construction says.

”You got a lot of ice up there, a lot of snow,” McDougal said.

McDougal has been taking care of homes for 15 years.

“I personalize in removing snow off roofs and remodeling,” he said.

With the amount of snow we get in Maine, he says it’s important to remove snow from your roof as soon as you can.

”You got heat rising inside the house, and a lot of times, if there is stuff on the roof already, it is going to cause it to melt,” he said.

The melted snow can freeze, depending on the weather. McDougal says that’s a lot of weight on the roof.

”It’s like parking a truck up there, and then we get more snow and it causes stress on the roof and forces things to pull apart,” he said.

It can cause leaks and other damage such as lifting the shingles.

“That’s several thousands worth of damage that we try to prevent for customers,” he said.

While people can use a roof rake to get some of the snow off themselves...

”You can use that to maybe take off what’s over your door,” McDougal said.

He recommends calling a professional for help.

”Don’t go to Facebook and search for random people because anybody may show up,” he said.

He says look for someone with recommendations that knows what they are doing, especially if you already have some roof damage.

”You can’t beat a roof with a hammer, because you are going to cause more damage. You can’t scrape the ice off the roof because the shingles have grit protection on them to protect you from the Maine winters. so you have to take it easy, one step at a time, do the right thing, and just get rid of it the first time because the second time might not be so nice,” he explains.

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