Can I Put Ice Melt in My Rain Gutter?

What is Ice Melt

• Most ice melt products are made from a salt of some kind. Many different types of salts are used in their manufacture, so check the label of your particular brand to see what type of salt it contains. Urea, a lawn fertilization ingredient, is also sometimes used. The problem with these ingredients is that while they might melt ice, they can also cause a lot of damage when applied to the roof and gutters without utmost care.

Rust

• When you put ice melt products in your gutter, you stand a good chance of causing damage to your gutters. The problem is salt-based products encourage rusting. If the product you buy encourages rust in your gutters, you will weaken them to the point where they may eventually become full of holes or even pull away from the roof. Ice melt products also rust roofing nails and other metal the ice melt comes in contact with.

Lawn Damage

• Even if you use a product that doesn't contain salt, the ice melt still poses a threat to your property. Your lawn is another potential victim of products that contain calcium chloride or corn as their active ingredient. If the product melts the ice and the water runs down the drain-spout onto the lawn, you risk a large dead spot on your lawn the following spring.

Safe Alternative

• You can achieve the results you're looking for without putting the ice melt directly into your rain gutter. Instead, find an old pair of pantyhose. Fill up the pantyhose with the ice melt product and tie it securely shut. Lay the filled pantyhose on the roof so it makes a channel from the upper part of the roof down and across the gutter. It will melt the ice lying underneath itself and create a pathway for future rain to run off the roof so it won't pool and turn into ice in the first place.