How To Safely Remove Ice Dams From Your Home

Article by: Henry Bockman

This article was written to explain the causes of ice dams and how to , Hills and holes: Not part of your landscaping design? remove them safely. For more information , Hills and holes: Not part of your landscaping design? or pictures of the processes see ice dam removals.

The art of ice dam removal. By Henry's Housework

You may have noticed long icicles hanging from your gutters and not realize the significance of the damage that may be occurring behind them. Icicles are usually one of the first warning signs of possible ice dams on your roof. , 8 Easy Steps to Find Your Perfect Toilet This article will explain what ice dams are, how they form and the best methods for removing them safely.

What is an ice dam?

An ice dam is a wall , Popular varieties of annuals for the home garden of ice that forms at the edge of the roof, , The Purple Martins Are Back! usually at the gutters or soffit. When it forms the water , A Quick Overview of Hotubs then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water. , Emerald Green Arborvitae for Feasterville Pa. This pool of water , The Beauty of an Antique Murphy Bed can leak into your home , FALL IS THE TIME TO WINTERIZE YOUR DECK and cause damage to walls, , 5 useful tips to care for your plants while you are on holidays ceilings, insulation, and other areas

What causes ice dams

Ice dams are usually caused by heavy snowfall and improper ventilation in the attic. This causes warmer areas in your attic then the snow , Making Your Home Blossom is Easy begins to melt, even when the outside , Birch Tree Planting Tips for Bucks County Pa. temperature is well below freezing. When the accumulated snow , The Tools of Rose Gardening on your roof , Mustard: The Greatest Among The Herbs starts melting it runs down your roof , Fall Flowering Bulbs underneath the snow , FALL IS THE TIME TO WINTERIZE YOUR DECK until it reaches a "colder" section like the soffit's, valleys or in gutters then it begins to freeze again, this process of thawing and refreezing is what causes an ice dam.

Cleaning the gutters on your home , Where Orchids Originally Came From can help prevent ice dams from occurring as quickly but they can still occur if the conditions are right. The gutters will be just as cold , Things to Know About Fountain Pumps as it is outside , Winter Gardening Fun and in some cases, full of frozen debris. So even if you don't have a soffit for the water , Burning Bushes Do Well In Buckingham Township, PA to refreeze in, the melted water , Looking For A Fur Rug? will most likely refreeze when flowing into the gutters.

How can I remove an existing ice dam?

Properly removing an ice dam can be quite dangerous if you don't know how. In the past some members of the media suggested hiring a contractor , How To Choose A Freezer For Home to pull the gutters off your home , Features of Landscape Design Software so the whole ice dam process would be solved. This suggestion was well intended but wrong. Contractors , Botanical Prints for scientific research and collecting that started removing gutters caused significant damage to roofing , How To Prevent Damping Off and guttering systems, then when the snow , The Right Bathroom Accessories Will Make Your Bathroom Unfor melted it dropped next to the homes , How To Choose A Freezer For foundation and caused the basements , The Beauty of an Antique Murphy Bed to flood. , The Right Bathroom Accessories Will Make Your Bathroom Unfor

WARNING!

Performing ice dam removal is risking severe personal injury and damage to the roof , Blue Spruce Trees -Not a Good Choice in Horsham Pa. if not done properly. Never walk on a snow , Satellite TV covered roof , The Tools of Rose Gardening and make sure if your using a ladder you follow the proper safety , Hills and holes: Not part of your landscaping design? procedures. I highly suggest contacting professionals with the proper equipment and roofing , The Beauty of an Antique Murphy Bed experience to carry out this job.

Immediate action: Remove snow , Tips For Acid Loving Plants and ice dam from the roof , Things to Know About Fountain Pumps this will eliminate the main ingredients necessary for the formation of another ice dam and will usually stop the water , FALL IS THE TIME TO WINTERIZE YOUR DECK from coming in within an hour. Using a roof , Popular types of bulb flowers rake and push broom (not water) remove the snow , Easy to do Brick Molds by carefully pulling it down the slope of the roof , The Right Bathroom Accessories Will Make Your Bathroom Unfor line. Never pull snow , The Beauty of an Antique Murphy Bed across the roof , Pictures Of Landscaping - Using Other Peoples Ideas To Design Your Landscape. or it may break off the shingles and other damages. Then carefully chip away a channel through the ice dam so the water , The Right Bathroom Accessories Will Make Your Bathroom Unfor will be able to flow through, just make sure you stop when you get close to the roofing. , Things to Know About Fountain Pumps It's not necessary to remove all of the ice in the gutters or the ice dam itself if you have removed the snow , How To Replace Lawn Mower Tires from the roof, , How To Prevent Damping Off it will melt when the temperatures , The Joys Of Garden Decks rise.

How can I prevent ice dams in the future?

Properly ventilating and insulating the attic is usually the best way to prevent ice dams. The usual recommendation for proper ventilation is 1 square foot of vent for every 150 feet of attic floor , The Final Word On Pond Maintenance area but each climate , How To Replace Lawn Mower Tires region may have it's own recommendations so I would suggest contacting a licensed local , How To Replace Lawn Mower Tires insulation company near you. If you have small louvered vents at either end of the attic known as gable vents you can either replace them with larger vents, or install an electric , Easy to do Brick Molds vent fan over the inside , How To Prevent Damping Off of them. These special fans usually work on a thermostat and will pull outside air , Popular types of bulb flowers into the attic to keep the temperature inside , The Purple Martins Are Back! consistent.

For more information , 8 Easy Steps to Find Your Perfect Toilet on ice dams and other articles we have written, please see our website at http://www.henryshousework.com

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Gutter Cleaning, Gutter Repairs, , Roller Blinds Gutter Installation, and Gutter Guard Systems.

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Ice Dam Removal

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About The Author

Henry's Housework is known as one of the leaders in the home , How To Replace Lawn Mower Tires maintenance and power , Looking For A Fur Rug? washing industries. Henry's Housework has also helped train other companies across the country in starting a business and teaching various skills , The Purple Martins Are Back! so they can provide quality workmanship.

This article may be distributed as long as a link to our website and the authors bio information , Plants For Establishing a Hedge in Plumstead Township Pa. is included.

Henry@henryshousework.com

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