How To Clear An Ice Dam On Roof

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How to clear an ice dam on roof.

How to remove an ice dam. Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position.

Ice dams occur when snow on a roof melts but freezes before getting fully clear of the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas. An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions. One way to remove an ice dam is to melt it using calcium chloride ice melt.

Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams. Over time the calcium chloride will clear a channel in the ice dam allowing the water on your roof to escape. Removing an ice dam from your roof immediately after spotting the signs can be critical to helping prevent damage to your home.

Fill a woman s stocking with calcium chloride and lay it in position directly over the ice dam in your gutter. The calcium chloride will eventually melt through the snow and ice and create a channel for water to flow down into the gutters or off the roof. Water stains or moisture may be an indication that an ice dam has formed and water has penetrated the roof membrane. It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.

Here are five ways to remove an ice dam from your roof. If necessary use a long handled rake or other tool to help get it in position. Eliminate its fuel source if left alone the ice dam will continue to be built up by the snow and ice up on your roof.