Getting Rid Of Ice Dams On Roof

This does involve a bit of manual labor on your part but it s a small price to pay for keeping your roof in one piece.

Getting rid of ice dams on roof. A steamer is like a pressure washer except that the water is hot. While these are intended to be and are quite effective as a preventative some folks have used ice melting cables for getting rid of ice dams. Moisture entering the home from ice dams can lead to the growth of mold and mildew. So the first step is to remove this ice and snow using a snow rake which is a retractable rake that can extend up to about 17 feet or so in length.

It s a slow process but if the ice dams aren t damaging anything they re not a bad option. It melts the ice away without damaging the roofing. A combination of better sealing insulation and venting in the attic and eaves. Add insulation in the attic.

The key to preventing ice dams on the roof is keeping the surface a cold and consistent temperature to fend off melting snow. We ve got a few options that will provide a long term solution to get rid of ice dams on the roof. Another preventative measure to take care of ice dams is to get rid of snow on your roof before it has a chance to melt. You do that by increasing ventilation adding insulation and sealing off every possible air leak that might warm the underside of the roof.

Prevent the growth of mold and mildew by immediately drying out portions of the house that are wet or damp. If necessary use a long handled rake or other tool to help get it in position. The cables are laid on top of the ice dams and allowed to do their thing. Over time the calcium chloride will clear a channel in the ice dam allowing the water on your roof to escape.

Fill a woman s stocking with calcium chloride and lay it in position directly over the ice dam in your gutter. If you have leakage from an ice dam and can t rake the snow off the roof the best way to get rid of the ice dam is to hire a roofing company to steam it off. Raking snow from your roof will keep ice dams from forming but you ll need to be careful. Here are five ways to remove an ice dam from your roof.

Just keep the entire roof the same temperature as the eaves. There are several things you can do to avoid getting an ice dam or to reduce the risk of damage after one has formed but there s really only one cure. Take immediate action to get rid of the water source clean the home environment and maintain its air quality.