Many boaters own an expandable boat pole. Usually, these aluminum, extendable poles have a hook on the end and are great for reaching a dock, anchor, person or…
With a quick modification, you can also make this pole into a functional snow rake! All you need is a large wire clamp and a board. A ½ inch or so piece of lumber or stiff material will do the trick. The material needs to be wide enough to screw into. The hook on the pole will support the center of the meter-wide snow rake.
Use this snow/boat pole to drag the snow away from your gutters. As snow piles up, it tends to fill the rain gutters on your home and freeze solid. Now you have a huge Ice Dam issue. This heavy ice can weigh down the gutters and cause them to fail. If the gutters fill with ice, water can back up under your roof shingles and cause your roofing to rot and leak.
If you clear the snow away and off your gutters, the darker shingles can show through. They absorb heat from the sun and encourage the snow to melt. Just a couple feet of clearance are all you need. When raking the snow, let gravity be your friend. Extend the boat pole to access the roof and drop the board/rake into the snow. Pull easily toward you and the snow will slide off.
This rake is not super strong but works for what you need. I am sure there are plenty of other modifications you can come up with. When the winter is over, unscrew the board and go back to boating.
Rake, rake, rake, your boat!
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, find him watching snow melt at www.montanagrantfishing.com.
