Roof Snow Removal in Ralston

Ralston's. The City of Ralston lists its adopted codes, among them the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 International Building Code, and says building permits are required for most projects. Permits are filed through the city's online portal, or on paper from the Building and Safety Director, Chief Building Official, at City Hall, 5500 S 77th Street.

Whether a repair after the snow needs one is the city's call: we ask, and work to its answer.

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2019 to 2023 five-year estimates) puts the median year Ralston's housing was built at 1974. About 63 percent of the city's homes were built before 1980, about 41 percent before 1970 and about 20 percent before 1960.

On a house that age, two things decide how it handles a heavy winter: the roof that is on it now, and the attic under that roof. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety says most residential roofs should carry about 20 pounds per square foot of snow before they are stressed, unless the structure is damaged or decayed. And ice dams start in attics that leak heat, which the University of Minnesota Extension says to fix by sealing the air leaks first and then adding insulation.

Carefully, and not down to the shingle. The Department of Energy's snow load guide says to use plastic, not metal, and to leave an inch or two of snow, because scraping shingles can loosen or break them. Snow weighs very differently by type: FEMA puts a foot of light, dry snow at about 3 psf and a foot of heavy, wet snow at about 21. A wet storm on an older roof is the case to call about. Our crews remove snow and ice from roofs by hand; the roof snow removal page explains the work.

Ice at the eaves gets steam instead of a chisel: it melts the dam off the shingles and opens a channel for the water behind it, then the gutter below is cleared so the next melt can drain. The ice dam removal page covers what to do if water is already inside, and how to stop the next dam where it starts, in the attic.

From the ground, yes, carefully. OSHA's hazard alert says to clear snow without going on the roof where possible, never to use a rake from a ladder, and to pull small amounts at a time so the snow does not bury you. Keep well clear of power lines. The roof rake guide covers the rest.

Ralston is served from our Omaha headquarters at 5634 S 85th Cir Ste 204. Office hours are 9 to 5, and during storms and emergencies we take night and weekend calls. Call us at (402) 291-8888. After the snow, a free roof check looks at the roof, gutters and siding in one visit, with photos and an estimate in writing. The Ralston page covers roofing, siding and gutters there year round, from the streets around Ralston Arena to Oak Park.