5 Helpful Tips To Stop Ice Damming

January 20, 2019

The professionals at Euston Hardware want you to keep your home protected and warm this winter in Kansas City. Icicles look pretty hanging from your gutters, but they're also among your home’s worst enemies. When it begins to warm up, Ice can melt and converge behind hanging icicles on your roof. These ice dams can create serious issues for your home and roof, causing water to recess back up under your shingles. After some time, this water can leak through your ceiling, causing extensive damage to not only your roof but to your interior walls as well.

Some things to help prevent:

1. Adhesive Ice & Water Barrier

An adhesive ice-and-water barrier is a type of self-sealing underlayment that sticks to the roof decking and secures it. You then place shingles over the top of it. It’s required by building code in most regions. Adding the ice-and-water barrier is an costly project if you have to tear up an otherwise operational roof, but it’s cost-effective insurance when you have to re-roof. Ask your local building inspector how far you should run it up the roof in your region.

2. Install Heated Roof Cables

Heated Roofing can prevent ie dams by decluttering pass ways and allowing water to pass through Install them along the roof's edge where ice tends to [form|build up|congregate]306].

These high-resistance wires, mount on the edge of your roof in a zigzag pattern and plug into an outdoor GFCI receptacle. They’re great in spots where ice dams regularly occur and can’t be prevented. One drawback to it is that you have to draw the melting ice away. Otherwise, it can re-freeze in the gutters or along the edge of the roof. You may also consider running heat cables inside a downspout so it doesn’t freeze over with ice. When all else has failed, consider installing heated cables We here at Euston Hardware are a great resource for any questions you may have

3. Roof Rake

Another ice dam prevention product is a Ice rake. A Ice rake is an aluminum scraper mounted at a right angle on a telescoping aluminum pole. Use the Ice rake to clean the snow off your roof so it cannot form up an ice dam. This is one of the quickest solutions for occasional heavy snows. However, a snow rake is only effective for single-story homes. Never use a snow rake while on a ladder. Also be careful to not break the shingles. Due to the cold weather, the roof shingles are more brittle in the cold.

4. It’s Always Better to Have it and not Need it, Than to Need it and Not Have It.

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Be sure to keep all the necessary tools on-hand for any DIY project to prevent an even worse ice dam headache — you’ll save lots of time and frustration by getting them early before the winter storms hit. In the off chance you do need something during the storm…know we are here in Kansas City to help you prevent that ice dam.

Here’s a list of the essentials:

Air compressor

Air hose

Dust mask
Extension ladder

Flashlight
Hammer

Pry bar
Roof harness
Utility knife

Caulk
Expanding foam

· Heat cables
· Ice and water barrier
· Insulation
· Roof Vent
· Soffit Vent

5. Install Proper Insulation and Venting in the Attic

· Seal up attic bypasses

· Double Check your attic’s insulation levels

· Install roof and soffit vents

Additional Ice Melting Tips!

If the temperature is 5° F or warmer, regular rock salt is as good as anything. Salt lowers the freezing point of water to this temperature.

Below 5° F, opt for a salt blend. Look for a product containing calcium chloride, which can melt ice in temperatures as low as -25° F.

So…stop by Euston Hardware in Kansas City for all of the tools, winter items, ice melt, shovels, insulation, heating cables and more! Ask for an associate to show you just where to find everything to get you on the right track.

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