How To Melt Ice Dams On Roof

An ice dam can form when certain parts of the roof get warm enough to melt the snow on the roof while the roof edges remain much colder and as a result prevent the melted snow from flowing down the roof.

How to melt ice dams on roof.

Clip in the cable along the same zigzag pattern as the shingle clips. The snow melts into water and t. By circulating cool outside air in the attic space or in the rafter spaces just below the roof deck the roof surface remains below freezing and cannot melt the snow on the roof. The major issue with ice dams on the roof is that they trap the melting water running down from the top of the roof and thereby cause it the melted water to rise up underneath the roofing shingles and eventually seep through the boards and walls inside our homes.

Why ice dams are dangerous. An ice dam forms when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the underside of the layer of snow on the roof. Ice dams can be frustrating. 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.

An ice dam forms when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the bottom layer of snow. The water trickles down between the layer of snow and the shingles until it reaches the eave of the roof which stays cold because it extends beyond the side of the house. Secure shingle clips to roof shingles using a flathead screwdriver making sure to align them in a zigzag pattern. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position.

If you still have snow or ice on your metal roof there are several different tools you can use to melt the snow like heat cables calcium chloride or hot water. Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. 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. In this video master electrician for ask this old house scott caron helps a homeowner install heat cables on his roof to stop ice dams.

A metal roof is great for preventing snow build up because the sun heats up the metal and causes the snow to slide right off.