Ice Build Up Removal on a Roof's Edge

Heat released from your attic can cause the bottom layer of snow on your roof to melt. As the temperature outside fluctuates, the melting snow can refreeze, causung an ice buildup on the edge of your roof, along with sharp dangling icicles. This buildup, known as an ice dam, can trap subsequent melting snow, which can then leak or otherwise cause damage to your roof or ceiling. To prevent this, take proper measures to melt the ice buildup on your roof’s edge.

Stocking(s)
Calcium chloride
Ladder

Instructions

- 1
  Locate a few old pairs of stockings or pantyhose (purchase some if necessary). You will need one pair to place every 3 to 4 feet across the roof.
- 2
  Fill each leg of the stockings with calcium chloride pellets. Calcium chloride is more effective at ice melting than other solutions (sodium chloride, magnesium chloride), as it is effective down to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, melts up to twice as much ice and will not harm vegetation or cause corrosion. Tie each pair of stockings off at the waist.
- 3
  Climb the ladder and place the stockings on your roof. Be sure to have someone hold the ladder in place. Hang one foot of the stocking over the roof’s edge, and toss the other leg up on the roof so that it creates a vertical line, perpendicular to the roof ridge. Alternately, if the top of the roof is not covered in ice or snow, you can place the stockings horizontally along the roof edge, on top of the ice buildup. Once in place, the calcium chloride will begin melting the ice on your roof.

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