It is never a good feeling for a homeowner to wake up to the sight of ice dams during the worst part of winter. They can lead to the destruction of property, more so your home, if they are left for a long time without attention. Ice dams occur when the existing mass of snow on your roof melts and then freezes over at the lower roof’s edge. This causes ice and water accumulation, which can infiltrate your rooms and harm your roof, walls, ceilings, and other parts. In this article, you will find out how to get rid of ice dams and avoid their occurrence.
How to Remove Ice Dams
Safety First
The first thing you should do is make sure you’re safe before you remove ice dams. Use warm clothes, gloves, boots and secure ladder to reach the top of the building roof. Apart from that, you can also use forms of gadget protection while ice, such as an ice axe, chisel, and ice hook.
Melt the Ice
Rake snow back to the edge of your roof using a rake because that is where the ice dam forms. Especially do not make the gutters go over and tear shingles or rip them off while raking. Another way is to employ a heat cable or electric roof heater to remove the ice mechanically by melting it. Second, you must make sure you use a product designed for this type of application and follow the product’s usage instructions.
Remove the Ice
Once you’ve cleared the layers of ice from the roof and melted the layers of ice, you can employ an ice chisel or even an ice pick to eliminate the ice dam. Saw away at the ice cautiously until there is none. You can also use a flat shovel to sort of shovel through the ice and remove any that may remain.
Check for Damage
After you have cleared the ice dam, go over your roof, the gutters, and downspouts to possibly tally the damage the ice may have caused.
Preventing Ice Dams
To reduce the health hazards within a premises, one should Improve the insulation and the ventilation
So, we see that ice dams occur when heat from a home enters the attic and melts the snow on the roof. This can be prevented by insulating your attic floor and sealing all light fixtures, chimneys, and all other openings. In addition, ventilation keeps the attic space cool enough to prevent snow that melted from falling back down and freezing again.
Maintain Your Gutters
Because gutters get blocked, they help to form ice dams. Check if your gutters are still apparent from any dirt, and it is worth installing gutter guards that reduce incidences of blockages in the future. Moreover, check that your downspouts are pointing away from the foundations of your homes.
Keep Your Roof Clean
Make a habit of clearing your roof of snow particularly around the gutters and the edges. It will reduce ice formation and reduce or eliminate ice dams. You can also put heat cables or electric roof heaters along the edges of a roof to allow the snow to melt as well as inhibit ice dam formation.
Use Roof Coatings
As a result, roof coatings can be valuable in preventing ice dam formation because they reflect the heat of the sun and make the roof warmer. It can also be used to avoid creation of ice dam of the melting snow as it solidifies on way down. PVC roofing is painted using roof coatings such as silicone, acrylic or aluminum roof coatings for instance. Select a product that fits the type of roof on your house and, going by instructions, apply the product.
The Radiant Heat Barrier is a concept that should be considered
By having a radiant heat barrier installed in the attic one is sure to minimize or reduce the rate at which heat from the home gets to the attic. This can be useful when melted snow that forms moisture on the surface can freeze and consequently cause ice dams. Radiant heat barriers are often reflective that reflect heat back to your home and therefore maintaining attic cooler.