Recommended Ice Dam Prevention Products: Best Roof Rakes & More
There’s one sure way not to need ice dam removal, and that’s to keep the snow off of your roof. It’s that simple. We know clearing the snow is a hassle, but it’s about 10% as painful as getting a roof leak and needing to pay for ice dam removal, and about 1% as painful as needing to pay for repairs due to interior water damage. A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood.
Here is the short list of roof snow removal products that Ice Dam Guys® uses in the field and recommends to anyone who wants to keep ice dams away or even just remove snow efficiently. For every one product we recommend, we’ve used probably 5 that didn’t make the varsity team. These are the best we’ve found. Of course, there are also the ice dam prevention products and methods we do not recommend.
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Best Plastic Roof Rake with Slide: Avalanche 750 Roof Rake
Why we recommend it: the plastic wheels keep the blade from rubbing the granules off of your shingles, while the slide reduces your need to pull the snow back toward the overhang of your roof. This reduces the number of times you need to move the rake back and forth over your roof, making it more efficient than most.
Best Plastic Roof Rake without Slide: Avalanche SnowRake Deluxe 20
Why we recommend it: this Avalanche roof rake is very easy to use. The wheels reduce wear and tear on your shingles and make it easy to pivot the head of the rake.
Best Metal Roof Rake: GoPlus 20Ft Roof Snow Rake
Why we recommend it: it’s functionally the same as a good plastic roof rake, but it’s possible for plastic to break. It’s much harder to break aluminum. Also, it’s somewhat less expensive.
Best Roof Broom: RoofBrum Snow Broom, 22 Foot
Why we recommend it: if your shingles are made of a material other than asphalt, you may want to use an extra-light touch. Likewise if you’d prefer to remove small amounts of snow more frequently, rather than wait for a lot of snow to acumulate. The RoofBrum is great for lighter snowfall.
Best Overall Deal: Avalanche Combo Package 1000
Why we recommend it: it’s got both the Avalanche rake and the Avalanche slide we recommend. If you’re not sure which one you’d prefer, or if you simply prefer to have a couple of irons in the golf bag, you can buy both as a set and save about $15 in the process.
Best Snow Shovel for Snow Removal on Driveways, Sidewalks, and Walkways: SnowPlow “the Original Snow Pusher,” 36″ Wide, Model 50536
Why we recommend it: it’s exceedingly sturdy. We abuse these things, but they hold up. As you’d expect, we spend a lot of time shoveling driveways, sidewalks, and other walkways, because (a) we need to be able to get to the ice dam on the roof and (b) people need to be able to get from point A to point B safely. The poly blade of the SnowPlow SnowPusher is extremely tough, and better than shovels with the metal edge that gets bent and rusty. At 36″ wide, it allows you to move a lot of snow at once. We recommend this shovel whether or not you have an ice dam. If you get snow, it’s probably the last shovel you’ll ever need.
Best Scoop Shovel for Heavy Snow Removal: Ames 2682700 Poly Scoop with Hardwood Handle and D-Grip, 46-Inch
Why we recommend it: sometimes you need to scoop snow rather than push it. That’s often the case when it’s heavy snow, especially when you’re on a roof and removing the snow that’s covering up the ice dam you’re about to steam off. (In that case, it’s important not to push a shovel snowplow-style, so that you don’t snag any shingles.) The poly scoop on this Ames shovel can hold a ton of heavy, wet snow. You’ll cry uncle before it does.
Best Way to Detect Hot Air Leaking into Your Attic: FLIR ONE Edge Pro Thermal Imaging Camera for Smartphones
Why we recommend it: along with raking your roof, keeping warm air from leaking into your attic is the best way to prevent ice dams. Less heat in your attic = cooler shingles = less melting of snow on your roof. You can stick this FLIR thermography camera on your iPhone or Android phone and find specific spots where air leaks into your attic. Usually you can find them simply by scanning your attic and your top floor with this in hand. Then you know specifically what to fix to plug up those air leaks, reduce the likelihood of ice dams, reduce the need to rake your roof, and save on your heating bills.
Best Roof Ice Melt Pucks: Eco Living Solutions
Why we recommend it: it’s worth having a few different ways to keep your ice dams from getting out of hand. No ice melt puck is a substitute for raking your roof, but if for whatever reason that ship has sailed, you have an ice dam, and you can’t get it removed professionally, the question is, “What now?” The pucks are much more effective than salt-filled pantyhose, for starters. We like that the Eco Living Solutions pucks aren’t salt, and that you can get a big box of them. You will need a lot of them to bleed the ice dam, especially if you have a long or complex roof line.
