Safely Remove Ice Dams From Your Roof With This Easy Solution

Winter weather can be the catalyst for a number of home damaging conditions. Frozen pipes and cracking foundations, sidewalks, and driveways are among the most common and can happen anytime sub-freezing temperatures are experienced. When significant snowfall occurs, a variety of issues can arise on rooftops, including damaged shingles and leaks. Structural damage can also occur from the weight of accumulated snow, which is one of the reasons you should remove snow from your roof frequently. Avoiding ice dams in your gutters and along the edge of your roof is another reason to keep snow off your rooftop. 

Ice dams can be a serious problem, as they can cause leaks, as well as structural damage from the weight of the ice in the gutters. Ice dams form in gutters not from rainfall freezing, but rather from snowmelt refreezing. This happens when snow that has accumulated on the top of the roof begins to thaw during the day. As the snow melt makes its way into the gutter, it refreezes in the gutter and along the edge of the roof. The ice dam continues to grow as this process is repeated over the course of several days, as the higher portions of the roof typically thaw faster, draining more and more snow melt onto the still frozen lower portion and gutters. This can become a massive issue when temperatures warm and large amounts of melted snow are running down the roof but unable to drain through the still frozen gutters.

As with any potential problem, prevention is always the best bet. Proper prep for winter weather includes cleaning gutters often and, once snow begins to fall, clearing it from the roof frequently. In addition to keeping gutters clean, it can be helpful to ensure your attic has adequate insulation and circulation, which can help facilitate more even melting of snow. Installing heated cables in your gutter, such as the HEATIT gutter snow de-icing cable, can prevent the snow melt from refreezing once it reaches the gutter and can thaw any ice that forms.

The sooner you can begin to remove an ice dam, the less damage it is likely to cause. If you haven't been diligent about clearing snow from your roof and you find yourself with a burgeoning ice dam, there are some safe, simple solutions. What you should not do, however, is attempt to manually remove the ice dam by pulling it or trying to break it apart. Instead, if it is very early in the formation process, pouring hot water down your gutter may suffice. But, if there is already a substantial ice formation, this will only add another layer to it. 

For more significant ice dams, you can use a variety of melting agents. One that is often touted online is calcium chloride. A variety of ice melt tablets, such as Roof Melt, made from either calcium chloride or magnesium chloride are commercially available. However, simply placing a tablet over the ice dam won't suffice. You need to melt a trail to drain the water. So, you can either lay a trail of tablets or place them in pantyhose or long tube sock and place them along the edge of the roof and top of the gutter.

While these chloride products might do the job, they may also rust or corrode screws and nails. These substances can also cause shingles to become discolored. However, there are other de-icing agents that can be used without these corrosive effects. One highly-rated product that also happens to be environmentally friendly is the Safe Paw salt-free ice melt, which can also be used to melt ice on your driveway. Regardless of which substance is used, once temperatures begin to stay well above freezing, it is a good idea to rinse your roof and gutters with fresh water to remove any residue and minimize corrosion and rust. Then, you can finally take care of other business that may need your assistance, such as rescuing your garden plants after an unexpected snowfall.