Ice Dam Where You Stop Raking Higher Up Roof

An ice dam forms when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the underside of the layer of snow on the roof.

Ice dam where you stop raking higher up roof.

This only occurs when part of your roof warms to above 32 degrees f warm enough to melt the snow while the roof edge remains below freezing. Ice dams form when the snow melts on an upper warmer part of a roof. The calcium chloride in the stockings will react with the ice forming channels in the ice dam within several hours. So the first step is to remove this ice and snow using a snow rake which is a retractable rake that can extend up to about 17 feet or so in length.

For an ice dam to form there must be snow on the roof. Poor ventilation and temperature control in the attic can also cause ice dams. The meltwater then runs down toward the colder eave overhang where it freezes. Just raking the first several feet of snow from the eaves is typically enough to prevent the formation of ice dams but in some cases this will cause ice dams to form higher up on the roof.

If you prefer not to use a ladder pitch the nylon stockings onto the edge of your roof. Here are five ways to remove an ice dam from your roof. This scenario is often the result of a warm attic. Eliminate its fuel source if left alone the ice dam will continue to be built up by the snow and ice up on your roof.

As the ice accumulates it forms a blockage that prevents the snowmelt from flowing off the roof. The water trickles down between the layer of snow and the shingles until it reaches the eave of the roof which stays cold because it extends beyond the side of the house. Climb a ladder and carefully place the nylons on the ice dam perpendicular to the edge of your roof several feet apart. A dam will grow on the parts of the roof that are below freezing.

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow water from draining off the roof.