Friday, January 9, 2015

Got Snow? Ames True Temper Telescoping Roof Rake to the Rescue!

Ever since I've had my conservatory, when winter comes, snow on the roof skylights has been a problem. Because the quality of winter light is lower, that light is even more important for my plants housed inside, in spite of most of them being somewhat dormant at the 50°F we keep it in there.

Snow on the roof, the sun can't melt it...

Snow is a good insulator, but
it blocks the light.
Anything that blocks light isn't a good thing, so when Ames Tools invited me to try some of their tools, I immediately chose their telescoping roof rake - part of their True Temper line - as one of them.

I received it last summer, but of course snow on the skylights isn't a problem then, but now it's January and the weather we're having had me searching the garage for that roof rake. It was easily found, just as easily assembled, and I got out there and used it.

I didn't need to extend the roof rake to its maximum length in order to remove
the snow from the skylights.

The angle at the far end of the pole is crucial for its ease of use, allowing you to be fairly close to the roof while using it. It's made of aluminum, making it pretty lightweight, and the pole's unique elliptical shape makes it 50% stronger than traditional round-handled versions.

That's better!
It didn't take me long to scrape the snow off the skylights, which then allowed more of that valuable light to shine in on all the plants. We had gotten some freezing rain before the snow came, so there was still some ice left on the windows, but the roof rake made short work of the snow. This was exactly what we needed.

It has push-buttons that make extending the pole all the way to its maximum length of 17 feet very easy to do, but it has a collapsible length of just six feet, making it better for storage. The 24" blade is made of temperature resistant polycarbonate.

One of the things I like about the Ames company is their attention to detail and to their customers. I visited their headquarters in Camp Hill, Penn., last spring and soon found out why they've been in business since 1774 - before the United States WAS the United States! I've promised to share details of that visit with you and I will - soon.

The telescoping roof rake is widely available at independent home improvement centers as well as the major outlets, with a selling price of around $49.95.

Ames Tools provided me with the telescoping roof rake in order for me to try it out and give my honest opinion. This blog post expresses my own opinion on their product and no other compensation was given.


Amy said...

Neat! My husband just picked up a couple rakes (we just bought our first house) and they are Ames rakes. I'll be excited to hear about their company a little more.

I've been a long-time reader, an armchair gardener, if you will. Now that we have a house, I'll have my first real garden!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I can see this as a handy item if one had lots of snow.

Anonymous said...

I'll have to mention this rake to my hubby. Some years snow can build up quite a bit on the roof, other years not so much. Thanks for sharing about it.

Jeff Morgan said...

This is a crucial tool for homeowners in snow-prone areas of the country. Ice dams are very harmful to our roof and attics, potentially causing very expensive water damage.

In addition to ice dams, week after week of heavy snow can also pose a weight tolerance issue. The best way to avoid these problems is regularly rake off your roof.

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