After the second winter storm in a matter of days, Hudson Hardware employee June Stephenson said there are few snow shovels left in stock.
“Right now, we’re just down to two snow rakes and normally people use the big blue scoop shovels, we’re all sold out of those as well,” she said.
The snow rake, with its long telescopic handle, allows you to take off the snow without getting onto your roof, something that’s especially dangerous in windy conditions when even experienced roofers don’t go up, according to store employee Ian Challice.
“It’s too dangerous to go onto the roof unless you’re an expert,” he said while using the rake to clear the snow off the roof of the store. “If you walk on that roof, it’s pure ice and you’ll slip.”
Although a lot of snow has accumulated, the good news is that most homes in Quebec are designed to handle it, according to David Marcille, a spokesperson for CAA-Quebec, which offers home insurance services.
“Roof balconies are built to support very heavy charges. And then they are built considering the region we are in. So that’s nothing to panic. Obviously, in the last couple of days, we’ve been getting a lot of snow, but that snow is very light,” he said.
In most cases, if there is a problem, Marcille said your house will tell you. Warning signs include unusual cracking sounds, ceiling warping and sagging, cracks appearing in walls and ceiling, and doors starting to jam.
The agency recommends calling professionals in most cases to remove snow from rooftops, but he said there are some preventative measures homeowners can take to prevent ice jams from forming.
“You don’t have to clear the whole roof. You could just create a little canal for the water to circulate, to go towards the drain, to go towards the, the gutters,” he said.
