What is Ice Damming & How to Block it

January 20, 2019

The experts at Schauer's Hardware want you to keep your home safe and warm this winter in Forest Park. Icicles look dazzling hanging from your gutters, but they're also among your home’s worst enemies. During the warmer parts of the day, ice can melt and pool behind hanging icicles on your roof. These ice dams can create serious trouble 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. Ice & Water Barrier

An adhesive ice-and-water barrier is a type of self-sealing underlayment that adheres to the roof decking and secures it. You then install roof slates over the top of it. It’s required by building code in most regions. Installing an ice-and-water barrier could be a costly project especially if you’d have to dismantle an otherwise operational roof. When installing it for the first timeAsk your local building inspector how far you should run it up the roof in your region.

2. Install De-icing Cables

Heated Roofing cables melt passageways for water to flow off the roof and prevent ice dams. Install heat cables when everything else has failed. Contact us at Schauer's Hardware if you have any questions.

3. Roof Rake

Another ice dam prevention product is a Ice rake. A roof rake is an aluminum scraper mounted at a right angle on a telescoping aluminum pole. Use the roof rake to clean the snow off your roof so it cannot form into an ice dam. This is one of the quickest solutions for occasional heavy snows. However, a roof 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. The Best Tools to Keep On-Hand

Have 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 a winter storms hit. In the off chance you do need something during the storm…know we are here in Forest Park 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. Be Sure to Properly Insulate and Vent your 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 Schauer's Hardware in Forest Park 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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