Think about a constant trickle of saltwater hitting the same area day after day as the snow and ice melt from your roof.
Salt in gutters to melt ice.
Calcium chloride is the best salt to use on ice dams according to handyman glenn haege.
This is where an ice melt system comes in.
It melts ice faster than sodium chloride does works at lower temperatures than sodium chloride and also melts larger volumes of ice.
Then lay the filled pantyhose horizontally on the ice in your gutter.
In many cases this is an extremely simple and cost effective solution that can help prevent costly water damage to your home.
Putting some on the edge of the shingles can also inhibit ice dam formation.
Hold off on the ice melting home remedies professionals don t agree on whether you can rely on home remedies such as pouring salt on the ice or filling a stocking with salt and placing it on top of the downspout so it slowly melts the ice.
That s a low performing method that might clear the gutter but not the downspout miller says.
There are other solutions to your ice dam issues.
It is not as likely to stain or cause corrosion as sodium chloride but it can damage wooden gutters.
Use roof melt tablets to reduce snow and ice buildup that occurs on your roof typically on the eaves and in gutters.
The simplest one is to take a few handfuls of calcium chloride not rock salt.
This can corrode the gutter and cause harm to vegetation when the ice melts and sprinkle it inside the gutters.
There are two options for heated gutter systems.
Salt will eventually melt and can damage any grass or plants below your gutters.
If you have a gutter that drains near or on a concrete sidewalk or driveway the corrosive effect will quickly become apparent.
Simply put and ice melt system heats your gutters keeping that water from refreezing and causing mounds of ice.
Tie a long string to the filled pantyhose so you can easily retrieve them later.
The key to using ice melt to prevent ice dam roof leaks and plugged gutters in winter is two fold.
Because salt is corrosive it can have a very damaging effect on sidewalks over time.