With the recent warm weather, snow built up on your roof will start melting, creating a water runoff that goes directly into your cold eaves and gutters, where it turns to ice and causes ice dams. Ice dams can rip off gutters, loosen shingles, damage siding, and lead to water backup resulting in roof leaks and safety hazards as water melts and refreezes on driveways and walkways.

Prevention

The best way to deal with ice dams is to prevent them before forming with heated cables. Before winter gets underway, a roofing professional – can lay these cables on your roof in a zigzag pattern, so they cover a good amount of surface area. You can turn these cables on to melt the snow and ice immediately when snow falls, preventing ice buildup.

How to rid your roof of Ice Dams

But what if ice dams have already formed? The safest way to get rid of ice dams is to hire a pro who can treat the ice dam with a chemical ice-melt product and very carefully break off chunks from the edges of the melted channels.

What about homeowner maintenance

A homeowner can use a Roof Rake to remove snow from the roof. A designated Roof Rake will not cause roof damage. The one caveat: the raking must be done right after a snowfall to avoid buildup. AND don’t ever put a deicer on your roof as it can damage shingles.

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