5 Helpful Tips To Block Ice Damming

January 20, 2019

The professionals at Malone Home Center want you to keep your home guarded and warm this winter in Greenville. Icicles look pretty hanging from your gutters, but they're also among your home’s worst foes. When it begins to warm up, Ice can melt and pool behind hanging icicles on your roof. These ice dams can create serious complications for your home and roof, causing water to recess back up under your shingles. Eventually, that water can leak through your ceiling, causing damage to the roof and interior walls.

Our top picks to help you stay in the clear:

1. Adhesive Ice & Water Barrier

An adhesive ice-and-water barrier is a type of self-sealing underlayment that adheres to the roof decking and waterproofs it. You then install roof slates 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 functioning roof, but it’s cost-effective insurance when you have to re-roof. Ask your local building inspector how far the adhesive would have to be installed in your region.

2. Heated Roof Cables

Heated Roofing can prevent ie dams by decluttering pass ways and allowing water to pass through Heated cables are a great last resort We here at Malone Home Center are a great resource for any questions you may have

3. Roof Rake

Another ice dam prevention product is a Ice rake. A snow 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 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. The Best Tools to Keep On-Hand

Have all your materials ready ahead of time. Pick up the necessary tools for your DIY project to prevent an even worse ice dam emergency — 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 Greenville to help you prevent that ice dam.

Here’s what we recommend to become project ready:

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. Proper Insulation and Venting in the Attic

· Enclose attic bypasses

· Check your attic’s insulation levels

· Add 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 Malone Home Center in Greenville 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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