How to Lay Ice Melt Socks on a Roof

Homeowners in cold or even temperate regions may be forced to deal with winter accumulations of snow and ice on their roofs. Roof ice can be fairly uniform, as it often appears following freezing rain events, or it may be concentrated near the bottom of the roof as a result of melt from the warmer upper portion of the roof running down and refreezing. This type of ice accumulation can form a troubling ice dam, behind which water can back up and eventually leak through roofing materials. One way to address ice dams is by placing ice melt socks on the roof. Ice melt socks, which are available commercially or can be made using nylon stockings, are essentially permeable tubing stuffed with deicing compound and tied shut at the ends to retain the compound.

Snow rake or push broom
Ice melt socks or nylon pantyhose and deicing compound
Ladder
Tacks, if desired
Hammer, if desired

Instructions

- 1
  Remove as much snow as possible from on top of the roof, using a snow rake specifically designed for the task or a push broom. The less snow there is, the more effective the ice melt sock will be.
- 2
  Fill the ice melt socks with chemical deicer if they have not already been filled. Alternatively, simply fill a nylon stocking with a deicing compound and tie the open end shut. Use a compound that is safe and will not corrode the roofing material. Under most circumstances, avoid rock salt, or sodium chloride. Instead, choose a compound that contains calcium chloride or calcium magnesium acetate.
- 3
  Lay ice melt socks every few feet spanning the ice dam. The socks should be placed so that they will carve a drainage path that extends to the edge of the roof. The socks can be placed closer to each other to address particularly problematic areas. If the roof is cleared enough above the ice dam to allow it, the socks may be tacked on for added security.

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