Use This Hack to Break An Ice Dam Fast

You’re in the middle of a winter storm and you notice water dripping from the ceiling and icicles forming behind your gutters. The culprit is an ice dam, a phenomenon that happens when melting snow becomes trapped behind a thick layer of ice on the eaves of your roof. Punch a hole through this dam and release the lake forming on your roof not with a hammer and chisel but with a bag of ice melt and a pair of pantyhose. We break down how the clever "pantyhose hack" can solve your ice dam dilemma.

What is an ice dam?

An ice dam occurs when heat loss from the attic melts snow on the roof, creating water that runs down to the colder eaves, where it refreezes, eventually creating a dam. Through capillary action, water caught behind the dam travels upwards under the shingles until it finds a seam or nail hole in the roof deck. 

How to Counter an Ice Dam

While it isn't possible to remove the ice dam, you can keep water from collecting behind it and causing leaks in your home. Our favorite dam breaking strategy is the "pantyhose hack."

1. The Pantyhose Hack

You’ll need two items to complete this hack–a pair of nylon stockings and a bag of calcium chloride (Note that calcium chloride is not the same as rock salt). Calcium chloride works best because it melts ice down to about -25 degrees Fahrenheit, while Rock Salt stops working at about 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Rock salt also poses a problem when the ice dam melts and it flows off the roof and into the soil since it’s toxic to garden plants.

1. Start by filling the pantyhose leg with calcium chloride to create an ice melting “sausage.”
   
2. Tie off the open end of the pantyhose then place it vertically over the dam. If you can’t place it from the ground, tie a rope to the end of it and swing the sausage into place. You can also use a ladder to place the sausage if you have a spotter stabilize the base.
   
3. The pantyhose calcium chloride sausage is designed to melt a channel in the ice dam through which the water collecting above it can drain. With that in mind, make sure the sausage hangs over the edge of the gutter and reaches across to the roof surface that is above the ice dam.
   
4. Once in place, the calcium chloride in the sausage will come into contact with the snow, causing an exothermic reaction that releases heat and melts a channel through the ice dam. Once the channel is open, the small lake trapped above the ice dam will drain to the gutter, eliminating the source of your roof leak. 

Related: How to Open a Frozen Car Door Without Wrecking Your Vehicle

2. Roof Rake Relief

Depending on the height of your roof, you can use a roof rake to solve an ice dam issue. You won't remove any of the ice dam with this method but rather the snow that's melting and causing the leak.

1. Stand far enough away from the eave that you can safely reach the roof without pulling an avalanche of snow and ice down on top of you.
2. Use the rake to pull snow that's behind the dam over the dam and off the roof. Never use your roof rake to chip away at the dam itself. That’s a quick way to damage your roof. 

Pro Tip: The Attic Fan Trick

If water is dripping through your bedroom ceiling, don’t wait until you can remove the ice dam to stop it. 

Take a box fan into the attic and blast air over the leak at the underside of the roof deck. The cold air should quickly freeze the water in the seam, creating a plug that will stop the dripping while you work on removing the ice dam. 

3. Call in the Professionals

If the ice dam is too big for any of the above solutions, you’ll need to call out for professional help. Before hiring a service, ask how they plan to remove the ice dam. If they use a pressure washer, move on. Pressure washing your roof will strip granules off the shingles, taking years off their lifespan. Look for a service that uses a low-pressure steamer to cut through the ice dam. This device emits hot steam that can melt through ice without damaging your roof. 

How Not to Remove an Ice Dam

1. Hammer and Chisel: When water is dripping through their ceiling, many homeowners reach for a chisel and hammer to break apart the ice. This can cause more harm than good. One errant swing of the hammer and you’ll shatter frozen shingles, compounding your roof problems.
   
2. Ladders and snow: Climbing a ladder to work on an ice dam is a bad idea. Ladders are risky enough when the weather is dry. They’re downright dangerous when climbing one in snowy and icy conditions. Unless you have a harness set up to spot you, stay off the ladder.
   
3. Rock Salt: While using calcium chloride is safe for your roof, rock salt is another story. Rock salt will melt an ice dam, but it will also corrode your metal gutters and destroy any surrounding landscaping after it runs off your roof. 

Related: How to Remove Ice From Concrete Without Salt

Prevent Future Ice Dams

While the pantyhose sausage is a quick solution to thawing an ice dam, it isn’t a long term one. Ice dams are a result of heat bypasses around chimneys, light fixtures, and attic hatches that allow warm air to collect in the attic. This warmer air melts snow on the roof deck, causing it to drip down to the colder eves, where it refreezes and forms an ice dam. You can prevent future ice dams by sealing off these heat bypasses. 

FAQs

Does Insurance Cover Ice Dam Damage?

You’ll want to check your policy, but most homeowners insurance covers ice damage. It doesn’t cover the cost of removing an ice dam. Take photos of the ice damage and the damage it caused before proceeding with your pantyhose hack. Doing so will make getting your claim filled a smoother process. 

Can I Remove an Ice Dam?

There's no good DIY method to remove an ice dam that won't cause damage to your roof in the process. The best strategy is to simply wait for warmer weather to arrive and melt it away. If you have a serious ice dam issue, seek out a professional to help you remove it.