Thursday, February 3, 2011

Threw Away Garelick Roof Rake Parts

Received this email yesterday:


Hi,

I have a metal Garelick roof rake.  
I threw away the box that had the
parts listed on it.  

The nut/bolt/screw that connects
the brace to the rake blade came
off while raking.  I need to replace.  

Need to know what to ask for at the
hardware store.  Is there a place
that would tell me what I am missing?  

The company is not answering the
phone because of the storm.

Thanks,


Looks like this might be the roof rake
you are talking about:

Garelick Roof Rake

If all you need to do is replace
a bolt, you might disassemble the
rake and bring with you to the
hardware store only that part of
the rake that has a missing bolt.

Once there, a salesperson can probably
find something for you that could act as
a temporary fix. Of course, the more
permanent fix is to order the parts
you need from the manufacturer.

Having a part fall off into the snow
is a problem that I've experienced more
than once. These days, I check that the
parts are securely screwed on at regular
intervals.

In fact, I've replaced some of my bolts
with extra-long bolts so that I can visually
see the rake coming apart before it actually
happens.

Years ago, I replaced the bolt that ties the
head of the rake to the pole as I found it
particularly irksome having the head of the
rake fall off and be left high on the roof.

One disadvantage of extra long bolts is that
they can dig into your clothes if you are not
careful which side of the rake the long side of
the bolt goes. As I think back on my decision
to use long bolts, I realize that I probably
would have been smarter to use some kind of
lock-nut rather than an extra-long bolt.

Ed Abbott

1 comment:

  1. Ed,
    Thanks so much. Good advice. The hardware store replaced ALL of the hardware with stronger versions of the original. He said he had been replacing hardware on roof rakes all day long for customers. And I will check more often to make sure the hardware is secure before using the rake. Bought an extra set of everything to have on hand at home should it happen again-- all for just $6.00. Appreciate your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete