Multiple snow storms can do a number on your roof, and Paul Tracy is a busy man these days.
"I was up on roofs yesterday shoveling 9-10 inches yesterday, then you have today's storm which put another 6-8 inches, then tonight you have more snow," said Tracy.
His company, J.J. Landerman Roofing of Bloomfield, has contracts in towns around Connecticut and he's criss-crossed the state over the past week.
For a homeowner, Tracy says a roof rake is simple way to be proactive and avoid having to call him. The best advice is pull snow off your roof 4 to 5 feet above the gutters. Flat roofs on commercial buildings present different issues.
During the winter of 2011, Connecticut saw several building collapses from the sheer weight of the snow after two major back to back storms. The town of Vernon even called in the National Guard to deal with problematic snow build up on several schools with flat roofs.
Fred Coon of West Hartford actually has a flat-roofed section on his home and is aware of the pitfalls.
"I think it was last year or the year before, we had three, three and a half feet up there, so we had to get that off from a weight standpoint," said the longtime New Englander.
Coon is well aware of the potential issues after today's kitchen sink storm, but he's inclined to call a professional if need be.
"Snow then sleet, then rain, then freezing and more snow," he said. "This has slate roof so it's already heavy, so we'll keep an eye on it, but I'm not climbing up there."
Good luck finding a roof rake. NBC Connecticut called several home improvement stores; many are already sold out of roof rakes and they don't plan on restocking them this winter.
