How to Thaw Gutter Ice Caps

Pour calcium chloride in one pantyhose leg. Position a ladder against the gutters where the ice dam is located. Have someone hold the ladder while you climb up. Throw the filled pantyhose across the roof, with about five inches hanging over the ice dam. The pantyhose leg should cross the ice dam vertically; it shouldn’t sit along the ice dam horizontally.

Throw pool chlorine tablets just above the ice dam. Space the tablets out so that they sit about five inches away from each other. The tablets will help melt the ice dams if the dams aren’t too thick.

Spray the ice dams using a hose and hot water. Attach a sprayer to the end of the hose and hook the hose up to either a water spout outside of your house (if it is fitted with a faucet that delivers both hot and cold water) or to a basement spout. Turn on the hot water only. If the ice dams aren’t too thick, they will melt away entirely. If they are thick, spray them with water until you can move the dams with your hands. At that point, push the dams and slide them off of the gutter.