Up the roof from the edge the next time you reroof fig.
What can i do about ice dams on my roof.
And this may cause water to leak into your attic ceiling or wall soaking your insulation drywall and paint.
A roof rake and push broom can be used to remove snow but may damage the roofing materials.
The problem is these ice dams can force water up under your roof s shingles.
That s when you have to call on secondary strategies and ice dam prevention products to prevent ice dam damage.
Getting rid of ice dams for good is simple in principle.
Make sure you use soffit and ridge vents that have the same size of opening.
You do that by increasing ventilation adding insulation and sealing off every possible air leak that might warm the underside of the roof.
Adequate insulation will keep the warm temperatures in your home and the cold temperatures outside.
And some sections of the roof may be impossible to keep cold.
Short of praying for warm weather here are two stop gap measures we recommend.
This eliminates one of the ingredients necessary for the formation of an ice dam.
If you don t have an attic completely insulate the rafters.
Hacking away at ice dams with a hammer chisel or shovel is bad for your roofing and dangerous for you.
The best thing you can do is to take steps to help prevent future ice dams from forming.
These vents help to circulate cold air under the entire roof eliminating the hot spots and cold spots that cause ice dams.
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.
Just keep the entire roof the same temperature as the eaves.
Ice and water protectors sometimes called ice and snow shields in cold climates are made with polymer modified bitumen.
And throwing salt on them will do more to harm to your plantings than to the ice.
You can keep your entire roof at an equal temperature by installing a ridge vent and soffit vents around your roof.
And as a bonus you will save money on your heating bills.
If left alone the ice dam will continue to be built up by the snow and ice up on your roof.
Your roof will remain below freezing preventing ice dams from forming.
A combination of better sealing insulation and venting in the attic and eaves.
Ice and water protector sometimes also referred to as ice and water shield is a waterproof roof underlayment membrane developed to protect vulnerable areas on a roof from ice and water damage.
Run special ice dam prevention products adhesive ice and water barrier from 3 to 6 ft.
There are several things you can do to avoid getting an ice dam or to reduce the risk of damage after one has formed but there s really only one cure.
