How to Combat an Ice Dam on Your Roof

Remove any snow from the roof around the affected area, as well as on top of the ice dam, with the snow rake. This removes both additional weight from the roof and snow that can melt and create further leaking inside the house.

Cut the legs off the pantyhose at the thighs using the scissors. Fill the "tubes" with the calcium chloride, leaving approximately 3 inches of hose at the top unfilled. Tie the top tightly closed; make sure that there are no gaps that would allow the snow melting product to leak out. Make several of these, depending on the size of the ice dam, for maximum coverage.

Shovel the snow raked from the roof off the ground below the ice dam, and make as level a surface as possible. Position the ladder so that it is not wobbling; if necessary, have a second person hold it for you as you climb up to the ice dam.

Use a gloved hand to brush off any additional loose snow over the ice dam. Lay the chemical-filled hosiery tubes across the ice dam so that they angle down toward the edge of the roof. As the melting product dissolves the ice, it will create a channel to allow the trapped water to run off the roof.

Refill additional tubes and lay them every 5 to 10 feet across the same area of roof after the ice dam melts. This procedure can prevent a return of the ice dams if more snowfall is expected, and can buy the homeowner time in preparing the attic space for ice dam prevention.