How to Avoid the Icy Roof

Ice on the roof leaves you open to the possibility of damage to the shingles and roof. If a major ice dam forms, the damage can filter down to the attic, walls and ceilings in the home. Ice dams form when heat from the attic melts snow on the roof, which then refreezes as ice. As the ice builds up, it pushes up under the shingles where it can melt and drip down through the roofs. Over time, the water goes down through the home's ceilings and walls.

Insulation
Attic vent
Snow rake

Instructions

- 1
  Clean out your gutters in the late fall. This allows melting snow to flow freely down the gutters, so it doesn't sit in the gutters and refreeze as ice. As the ice builds up in the gutters, it will continue freeze up onto the roof and possibly under the shingles.
- 2
  Insulate the attic if it doesn't already have adequate insulation. You want the roof to stay warm so the snow doesn't melt, and keeping your attic cold is key to achieving this.
- 3
  Look for gaps in the attic floor around vents or other areas. Patch or insulate those areas in particular, so heat from your home doesn't filter up into the attic to heat up the roof.
- 4
  Install an attic vent fan at one end of the attic to keep air circulating. The vent fan helps draw in cold air from outside, so the roof doesn't heat up.
- 5
  Remove snow from the roof using a snow rake, which is a specialty tool with a long handle. The rake allows you to brush the snow off the roof, so it isn't able to melt and turn to ice. The end of the rake is designed so that it won't hurt the roofing.

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