The Safest Way to Remove Icicles From a Roof

Although icicles hanging from your roof may look like a seasonal decoration, they are really an indicator of dangerous conditions for your home. Icicles usually form as a result of ice dams, or excess ice and snow along the gutters and edges of your roof. This can cause problems such as shingle damage, excessive weight on your roof or even water seepage within your exterior walls. These conditions necessitate the removal of the icicles, yet it can be a dangerous job if you don't take the proper safety precautions.

Eye protection
Roof rake
Ladder (if necessary)

Instructions

- 1
  Wear eye protection, such as goggles, before attempting to dislodge icicles from your roof. Your eyes are extremely vulnerable to injury, and whirling fragments of ice are a serious threat.
- 2
  Scrape the excess snow and ice from the top edge of your roof with the roof rake. It is not necessary to completely remove all of the ice, since a thin layer of ice can actually protect shingles or other roofing material. Stand back from the roof so ice does not fall on you during this process. The rake is long enough to reach first-story roofing without a ladder; however, if your home has multiple stories, you will need to use a ladder. In this case, enlist the help of a friend to hold your ladder. Make sure your helper is out of the way of falling debris from the roof and also wears eye protection.
- 3
  Knock off remaining icicles with the end of the roof rake, again making sure that you and any helper you have are well out of harm's way from falling ice.

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