How to Keep Ice Off a Roof

Inspect the insulation in the attic of the house for tears or missing panels. According to Popular Mechanics, the underside of a home’s roof deck should never go above 30 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent snow from melting and forming ice. Place polystyrene rafter air channels in between the roof rafters to provide a gap for air flow. Purchase polystyrene rafters air channels at local hardware stores or where roofing supplies are sold. Place sheets of unfaced insulation batting on top of the polystyrene rafter air channels to fully insulate the roof rafters from the attic space.

Check the areas where the rooftop meets the walls of the home as well as the interior areas of the attic for any holes or cracks. Use spray foam insulation, which is found at local hardware stores, to fill in the gaps or cracks found on both the interior and exterior areas. Pay special attention to areas prone to leaks such as chimneys, ceiling light fixtures, exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom and plumbing or vent penetrations.

Clean out gutters and drainage systems. Remove debris such as twigs or leaves from gutters to prevent water flow from backing up and eventually forming an ice dam that can spread to the rooftop.

Install a baffled soffit-to-ridge vent above the exterior wall of the house. Make sure the ventilation system runs along the length of the house. This will provide a continuous flow of cool air to prevent snow from melting and forming ice dams on the rooftop.