Clearing roofs before it's too late

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Freddie Harrington has shoveled his roof a few times already this winter.

He also has helped clear off dozens of other homes because he says it’s crucial to maintain the condition of your roof, “anything more than 2 feet, you run a risk of collapsing and as it melts it gets heavier, so you definitely want to come and get some kind of maintenance done on your roof.”

For those who can't get up to their roof, or simply don't want to, roof rakes are good at preventing ice dams from forming.

Ice dams occur when water freezes and builds up on your roof. Often times these can cause leaks inside your home which are costly to repair.

Bob Durant rakes his roof because he's had to deal with leaks before. “We ended up getting the roof repaired so it is an expense and the best thing to do is clean as much off as you can for drainage, keep the gutters clean,” said Durant who lives in Chicopee.

Roof rakes are a hot commodity these days, as soon as they show up in the hardware store they sell out in a matter of hours.

Andy Quinn is using a shovel to try and get the ice off of his roof, because he's starting to see the damage. “Just a little bit we started some, cleared out the edges of the roof earlier, but we just saw some water coming in on the corner over by the fireplace,” said Quinn.

If you do need to have snow removed from your roof, only go up to shovel it if you feel comfortable or else consult a professional.