Minnesota Classic Glastron Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: David CVX-16 on December 30, 2010, 09:17:59 PM
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After reading in the Star Tribune about all the water damage to houses from ice dams on roofs, took a roof snow shovel today and cleared 3 feet of snow from the ends of the roof on the East and West sides. Then climbed a ladder onto the roof and shoveled, doing a better job than the roof snow shovel. Still a long ice dam on the ends of the roof. Went to Menards and they were out of RoofMelt. Then went to Home Depot, and they were out of the pucks (will get a shipment in Sat), but had a noncorrosive ice pellet product called Mags which I intend to sprinkle as soon as possible weather permitting.
Anyone have a good product to remove the ice?
Wow what a winter so far between the snow, ice, and rain.
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At least the rain took away a few inches of the snow today ...
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http://www.avalanche-snow.com/ (http://www.avalanche-snow.com/)
I bought one of these last night. The boss says it works just like the video on the website. Going to put it together today and give it a try. A company in Buffalo,MN makes them and it looks like more fun than work!
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Spring time works wonders on ice dams. :D
If this is a continual problem, you might want to consider those electric heat wires. My old house had them but I never used them because that wires were so old and scary. Too bad those kinds of things have to be up there and exposed to the sun year round. I wonder if there is some kind of temporary kind a guy could put up. Probably wouldnt work so well ON TOP of the ice.
David, long term you might want to take a look at your insulation/ventilation to make sure its adequate. Usually ice dams start because of escaping heat to the roof, melting the snow that then freezes when it gets out over the eve. Stop the melting (less heat escaping/more insulation, more ventilation to keep the attic as cold or near as cold as the outside) and you'll have little to no ice damming.
I once heard it described as an illustration that in a perfect world, a roof would be up off the house and 100% open on the sides. That gives you an idea of what you want up there. Cold air. Of course, the sun is going to still melt snow. Depends too on if you have a lighter color roof or if its dark. Be careful climbing around up there. Cold shingles are slippery! We dont want you falling off into a shrub or anything like that.
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The house was built in 1977 and has never had any water leakage from an ice dam, but there is a ledge of ice forming on the ends of the roof from the sun melting the snow that traps water and the ice dam is backing up. I shoveled 3 or 4 feet of snow off the roof ends, which exposed the ice. Today I sprinkled the "Mag salt pellets" on the ice and immediately water started dripping. Yes, I am very careful. Two years ago slipped on the sidewalk and landed on the shoulder. Has taken two years to get back to normal. On the roof, I walk only on the deep snow while shoveling the snow off the ends, wear shoes with spikes and am very careful climbing up and down the ladder. Will keep putting salt on the ice dam.
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"wear shoes with spikes"
Golf shoes? :D
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I live in a 2 story home w/walk-out in the back and a roof w/12-12 pitch. No way I'm getting up there ever! ;D The good news is my ceillings are well insulated and the eves ventilated so ice dams aren't an issue.
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Uh Yeah stay off 12-12 pitched roofs...even in the summer! I like the look but I wouldnt want to roof that or doing anything up there. Especially where your walk out is. Thats 3 stories. Long fall. :P
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Same here ...
Tryed to get a toy that some how got on the garage roof, wasn't pretty !
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The shoes with spikes are the slip on rubber straps over shoes with 6 carbon tungsten carbide bits. Also wear them for my walking in the neighborhood on the icy streets. Bought them at Walmart for $15.
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My old 1980 split entry has a 4/12 pitched roof. I was up there in the rain the other day shoveling. No ice dams yet but thought it was a good time to get a good 1000lbs of snow off the roof. I had a snow driff near the edge of at least 3 feet. Gotta love winter!