Get matched with top snow removal pros in Highland Home, AL

Yes—in fact, it’s an important step in how to start a snow blower. Allowing the engine to idle for a few minutes prior to using a snow blower helps it reach its optimal operating temperature, which gets the fuel running properly, improves its performance, and helps prevent stalling during frigid weather.

How much snow can a roof hold? The answer could help you to avoid roof collapse—a worst-case scenario, of course. For most roofs, you can expect it to withstand four feet of fresh snow, two feet of packed snow, or two to three feet of a mix of old and new snow. However, your roof will only be able to handle one inch of ice. The actual weight capacity of your roof may vary, so check with whoever built it for exact details.

In most municipalities, snow removal is compulsory in public spaces, including the sidewalk in front of your house, so you need to remove snow there. You could face fines for failure to clear your sidewalk in a timely manner—usually within 24 hours of the snowfall stopping. More importantly, your sidewalk needs to be safe for pedestrians to use, and you could face legal issues if someone slips on your sidewalk because you failed to clear it. Sidewalk removal services might seem expensive, but they’re well worth it to avoid these issues.

Roof raking helps clear snowfall from your roof and, in turn, you hope that this prevents ice dams. But can roof raking actually cause them? Generally, no, it cannot. But you should note that while, in some cases, you might successfully prevent ice dams from forming near the edge of your roof by keeping it cleared with a roof rake, they could still form higher up on the roof, where you are unable to reach. This may leave you wondering: Does roof raking prevent ice dams? While it is not a 100% guaranteed way to prevent them, it does help.