Roof Snow Removal in Greater Minneapolis

Protect Your MN Home & Roof from Heavy Snow Loads

Raking snow from roofs helps prevent ice dam formation and also improves the efficiency of solar electric panels.

Every year, the newspapers tell us disheartening stories of homeowners and untrained workers who fall from rooftops while trying to remove heavy accumulations of snow. Sadly, many of these accidents cause serious injuries or death.

Snow removal, however, may be advisable to prevent the formation of ice dams and to remove snow from solar collectors and roof windows.

During periods of extremely heavy snowfall, snow and ice build-up may exceed the load capacity of your roof, especially older roofs that are flat or have low-slope pitches. Some snow-fall can weigh between 1 and 21 lbs. per cubic foot, depending upon moisture content!

Sela Gutter Connection offers our professional snow removal services for roofs all throughout the Greater Minneapolis area.

We safely & effectively remove snow without damaging shingles

We work from the ground whenever possible, carefully using long snow rakes that resemble garden hoes. Our workers are instructed to remove small amounts of snow at a time to avoid being hit by falling snow or ice. We are particularly careful to avoid dislodging roof shingles and gutters. If it is necessary to work from the roof, proper safety gear is used to prevent accidents and care is taken to locate skylights, dryer vents, and roof vents beforehand.

In addition to careful snow removal, we can also use specialized steam equipment to safely melt and remove snow and ice buildup from the roof. Steam is a low-pressure method that helps break up stubborn ice without chipping, hammering, or using damaging chemicals. It is especially effective for addressing ice dams and thick ice along the eaves while helping protect shingles, flashing, and gutters.

Our snow removal methods ensure the safety of our workers and won’t damage your roof. Contact us before the snow begins to fall so we can map your roof and inspect the shingles and gutters. With this preparation, we can more effectively handle snow removals when the need arises.  

Snow accumulation on the roof can lead to ice dams

Snow on your roof normally does not pose a problem. When your roof is subject to temperature differentials between the area over the attic and the bottom few feet near the eave, however, it may be vulnerable to ice dams and damaging water leaks.

As the snow melts across the upper reaches of the roof, it trickles down toward the eave. If the roof temperature at the eave is below freezing, that trickle freezes like a mini glacier until layer upon layer gradually builds up and a "dam" of ice forms.

When the ice dam is high enough, water collects behind it and forms a small pool. The water rises under shingles until it reaches a fastener hole and seeps into your home.

For severe ice damming, steam removal is an effective solution. By applying low-pressure steam along the ice dam, we can create channels for drainage and reduce the risk of water backing up under shingles. This allows the roof system to shed melting snow more safely while minimizing the chance of shingle or flashing damage.

If your eaves are shielded with eave flashing, such as a self-adhering rubberized asphalt and fiberglass mat (that self-seals when penetrated by fasteners), you probably won’t have to worry about ice dams.

Contact Sela Gutter Connection today to find out more about our snow removal, steam services for snow and ice dam removal, and ice dam prevention solutions, or our other roofing services like roof repair and replacement. We work in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Andover, New Hope, Lakeville, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville and cities nearby.

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