Ice Dams

Have you fallen victim to the winter weather? People all over Middle Tennessee (and beyond) are finding ice dams - a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into your home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.

A lot of damage. My entire condo building is damaged because of the melting snow and ice! For a “quick fix” (just to get you through until you can contact a contractor like ), take a box fan into your attic and aim it at the underside of your roof where water is actively leaking in. This dose of cold air will freeze the water and stop it from continuously melting.

Hacking away at ice dams with a hammer, chisel, or shovel is bad for your roofing—and dangerous for you. Thinking of throwing salt on it? Don’t. It will do more harm to your plantings than to the ice.

Pull off snow with a long-handled aluminum roof rake while you stand safely on the ground. A rake with wheels will instantly change the exterior temperature of your roof without damaging shingles.

You can also diminish the damage after the dam has formed with, wait for it… panty hose! Fill the leg of discarded pair of panty hose with a calcium chloride ice-melter. Lay the hose onto your roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. If necessary, use a long-handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position. The calcium chloride will eventually melt through the snow and ice and create a channel for water to flow down into the gutters or off the roof.

Now, those are just quick fixes. As we all know, quick fixes aren’t always the best but sometimes necessary! For a permanent fix, you need to call a contractor right away.

If your floors were damaged, call R&S Flooring in Brentwood.  We service all of Middle Tennessee and can help get your floors looking new again! 615-771-0084.

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