Ice On Roof How To Thaw

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.

Ice on roof how to thaw. Clip in the cable along the same zigzag pattern as the shingle clips. Ice dams can pose many problems. Pull the snow toward you. An ice pick or awl is best for this task though a crowbar or hatchet can work too.

It will damage paint metals and plants beneath the eave and wherever the salty water drains. This is a great way to get the water flowing if you have ice buildup. Reapply the tablets as needed. Melt troughs through the ice dam with calcium chloride ice melter.

Sprinkle a chemical deicer on the roof to get rid of large sections of snow. 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. Fill a woman s stocking with calcium chloride and lay it in position directly over the ice dam in your gutter. An overflowing drain pan.

Distribute roof melt tablets evenly around the perimeter of the roof either near the eaves or near the gutters to assist with ice reduction. Purchase the salt you d use to melt ice on a sidewalk or driveway from a local hardware or big box store. Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. Secure shingle clips to roof shingles using a flathead screwdriver making sure to align them in a zigzag pattern.

Do not use rock salt. The socks will create melt a channel in the ice to allow the water to run off your roof instead of building up along the eaves and leaking inside. Over time the calcium chloride will clear a channel in the ice dam allowing the water on your roof to escape. Stand on the ground not on the roof or ladder and use this rake to scrape the existing snowpack down off your roof.

There truly is no wrong way to do this. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position. When it reaches the eaves where the temperature of the roof is colder the water refreezes. This will help prevent water damage if the melting ice overflows the drain pan and leaks onto the floor.

Don t use a side to side motion because doing so could dislodge shingles. As you re waiting for the unit to thaw keep an eye out for. If necessary use a long handled rake or other tool to help get it in position. As more and more water melts down the roof and refreezes at these locations ice builds up and forms a blockage or dam.

Wear gloves to protect your hands from the chemicals and throw small handfuls of the deicer onto the roof so it can start melting the snow. It all depends on the extent of the ice buildup. Next go up on the roof and put ice melt socks vertically one end onto the gutter and the other end up the roof slopes spacing them every 3 feet.