How To Clear An Ice Dam On Roof

Hosing with tap water on a warm day will do this job.

How to clear an ice dam on roof.

Breaking an ice dam is usually done in conjunction with melting the ice in some fashion such as with the use of calcium chloride socks as described above or with roof steaming below. Fast fixes for ice dam removal blow in cold air. An ice pick or awl is best for this task though a crowbar or hatchet can work too. If your home is beginning to suffer the leaks indicative of an ice dam take a fan a box fan or small air mover into your attic and direct it at the section of roof suffering the leak.

Pull off snow with a long handled aluminum roof rake while you stand safely on the ground. This blast of cold air will usually be enough to refreeze the fingers of the ice dam while the snow and ice is melting away on the outside of your home. Fill a woman s stocking with calcium chloride and lay it in position directly over the ice dam in your gutter. It melts the ice away without damaging the roofing.

Eliminate its fuel source if left alone the ice dam will continue to be built up by the snow and ice up on your. Use a calcium chloride ice melt product which you can generally purchase from your local hardware store. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams. See below for a shopp.

Fill a nylon stocking with the calcium chloride ice. Over time the calcium chloride will clear a channel in the ice dam allowing the water on your roof to escape. Illustration by yuko shimizu hacking away at ice dams with a hammer chisel or shovel is bad for your. Using a roof rake remove snow 3 4 feet from the edge of your roof being careful not to damage the roof.

A steamer is like a pressure washer except that the water is hot. 5 tips for removing ice dams from your roof 1. If necessary use a long handled rake or other tool to help get it in position. In an emergency situation where water is flowing into the house structure making channels through the ice dam allows the water behind the dam to drain off the roof.