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Leaving a significant amount of snow on your roof can be risky. Most roofs are designed to handle about 20 pounds per square foot of snow, but exceeding this limit can lead to a roof collapse. A collapse can cause severe damage to your home and belongings and poses a physical danger to anyone inside. Furthermore, heavy snow accumulation increases the risk of ice dams, which can cause leaks and water damage to your roof, attic, and interior walls.

If a big freeze catches you by surprise and you don’t have any deicer to hand, you can reduce the chance of taking a tumble by laying gritty, anti-slip materials. Some natural, readily-available options that don’t melt ice but offer traction underfoot include sand, wood shavings, kitty litter, and fireplace ash.

Both rock salt and ice melt are naturally occurring salts. Rock salt is sodium chloride, which is the same as table salt. Ice melt products can be made from a combination of salts like magnesium chloride and calcium chloride or can be those salts alone.

Rock salt comes in large crystals, so it helps provide traction on icy surfaces, whereas ice melt products need to be mixed with sand to provide traction. Ice melt products work at lower temperatures than rock salt, so they might be a better choice if you have a harsh winter climate.

Clearing snow from your roof can be a tedious and time-consuming job. Even so, it is extremely important to maintain your roof during the winter months. You can help prevent ice dams and avoid roof collapse.

As a side note, rather than shoveling your roof, you should always use a roof rake to modify the job. Otherwise, call in a professional.