Best Way To Remove Ice Dams From Gutters

If you must do something.

Best way to remove ice dams from gutters.

Eliminate its fuel source if left alone the ice dam will continue to be built up by the snow and ice up on your roof. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position. If you re interested check out our tutorial on using roof rakes. As long as the water isn t leaking into your home the underlayment in your roof is doing it s good and there s no real reason to panic.

Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. You can do a lot of damage to your gutters this way. In fact once your gutters are frozen solid the best thing to do is nothing and just wait for a thaw. A steamer is like a pressure washer except that the water is hot.

It s actually a bad idea to try this removal practice as its hard on the roof might cause more damage and also poses a safety hazard for you. Hook up a garden hose to the hot water spigot that your washing machine is hooked up to. Yes it s the safest and best way to lessen the effect of ice dams. Melt the ice with hot water.

Don t go out there with a hammer and try to chisel the ice out. The increased airflow will push cold air towards the water causing the water to refreeze. 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. In fact after every heavy snowfall you should use a roof rake to prevent ice dams from even building up.

If a warm winter day isn t likely and you are concerned about your gutters or roof there is something. It melts the ice away without damaging the roofing. Run the other end of the hose into the gutter and turn on the water to melt the ice. 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.

A simple way to stop an ice dam in its tracks is to refreeze it.