Breaking Up An Ice Dam On The Gutters

This equates to a larger thicker ice dam than you would have had without gutters.

Breaking up an ice dam on the gutters.

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. 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. See below for a shopp. For every 10 feet 3 0 m the gutters should slope downward 1 2 inch 1 3 cm.

Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams. Gutters do not cause ice dams. But regardless you would have had ice dams anyway so don t go tearing the gutters off your house in an effort to prevent ice dams this winter. How to remove ice dams.

An ice dam is defined as a build up of ice that gathers on the eaves of sloped roofs. If your gutters don t have the proper slope hire a professional to adjust them or fix them yourself. An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof usually at the gutters or soffit with water pooling behind it. Trying to break up the ice with a hammer can damage gutters and shatter roof shingles.

The person breaking the ice dam should do so from the vantage point of being on the roof not from the ground where the heavy sheets of ice will fall. When it forms the water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water. Have a professional steam your ice dams away. Ice may build up in your gutters if they don t slope down correctly toward the downspout.

This pool of water can leak into your home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas. Ensure your gutters slope downward. Gutters at the eaves can also trap snow and ice. Rock salt melts ice but it also kills garden plants corrodes metal gutters and peels paint.

If snow and ice build up high enough in the gutter it can provide a foundation for an ice dam. The flatter the pitch of the roof the easier it is for an ice dam to get a grip. What damage do ice dams cause. An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof usually at the gutters or soffit.

This water has the potential to leak into your home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas. These ice dam busing techniques are safer for your roof but always be very careful while you work. Here are five ways to remove an ice dam from your roof.