How to Melt Snow on a Roof

Snow on the roof can cause structural damage, especially if there is ice underneath it. As the ice hardens, it can block the route of water from snow melt, leading to an ice dam formation. The water will have nowhere to go, so it finds its way into cracks or crevices in the roof and can lead to massive water damage. One way of preventing ice dam formation or water damage is by melting the ice and snow on your roof.

Pantyhose
Scissors
Calcium chloride
Ladder

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the legs off an old pair of pantyhose. You will need one leg for every 3 feet of roof length that has snow on it.
- 2
  Fill each leg with calcium chloride, which is a common deicer. Tie a knot in the top of the leg so the pellets will not escape.
- 3
  Climb up a ladder and place one full pantyhose leg on the edge of the roof on top of the snow, positioning it so the toe sticks out over the gutters by about 1 inch.
- 4
  Place the second pantyhose leg 3 feet away from the first. Continue placing the legs 3 feet from each other along the roof, on top of the snow, overhanging the gutters by about 1 inch. Leave them until they melt through the snow.

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