Taking Icicles Off the Roof

Ice Floe Difficulties

• When thick ice begins to accumulate on a roof, its heaviness can cause major structural damage. Removing it can be even worse; countless people have been injured after climbing up on their roofs in pursuit of the offending ice floe, and many of the ice-floe removal methods can ruin your roof. Chemical removal methods can change the color of your roof, and other methods -- such as using a chainsaw or an icepick -- can warp your roof.

Deciding What to Remove

• Before beginning your ice floe removal plan, you need to make key evaluations. Removing the entire floe isn't necessary, unless the ice accumulation is indeed causing structural damage to your roof. The amount you remove also depends on your resources and experience. If you don't feel comfortable climbing onto the roof, you'll want to call in a professional. In any case, you need to carve a path through the ice for drainage as well as remove the icicles.

Icicle Dangers

• Falling icicles killing passersby are more than an urban legend. According to England's "Telegraph," in March 2010, snowstorms in Russia led to numerous injuries, including an 8-year-old boy's serious spinal injury. The same article reports that falling icicles kill dozens of Russians every year. Stateside, a man died in Chicago in 2000 after being struck by a falling icicle. The popular Discovery Channel show "MythBusters" did a segment in 2004 proving the fatal danger of being struck by falling ice.

Removal Methods

• You want to start by shoveling the snow that sits against the edges of the roof by using a roof rake; icicles form when this snow melts and the water runs toward the edge of the roof before freezing as it drips over the eaves. If the icicles are extra large, remove them manually to take some stress off the roof. Use the roof rake to gently chip away at the icicles. The best method is to have a professional remove the icicles with heat or laser methods, according to the "Telegraph."