If you live in a snowy region of the country, you are well aware of ice dams and what damage they can do to your home. From roof repairs to repainting the walls, ice dams truly are a damn nuisance when it’s cold outside.
You can see a lot of products and services on the market that claim to be the best roof ice dam solution. But, what actually works?
Read on to find out the advantages and disadvantages of every roof ice dam solution, so you can keep your home protected this winter when the temperature drops.
Snow Rake
The real advantage of roof rakes is that they’re cheap to buy and let you get the job done yourself, without the hassle of paying for a service company. In addition, if you remove the snow when it first gathers on your roof, you can stop the ice dam from forming and causing damage.
While this may be the quick fix, the real disadvantage of raking your roof is that it doesn’t solve the problem. This means that snow and ice dams will continue to come back, as long as the heat rises and the temperatures are low. Who wants to be outside in the cold raking the roof every day? It’s hard work!
Pressure Washer
There’s plenty of companies offering pressure washer treatment and it can definitely destroy ice dams. But, at what cost? Pressure washers can be an expensive option and bills will be re-occurring because you aren’t addressing the real problem. It can even cause leaking into your attic!
Calcium Chloride or Chemical Products
Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and rock salt products are readily available in a lot of stores and cheap to buy yourself. They work by melting the snow and preventing ice dams building up and causing damage.
There’s no doubt these products can work as a roof ice dam solution. But, you have to do it every time it’s snowing and that’s just not possible when you lead a busy life. It can even cause damage to the shingles and metal on your roof, as well as put your personal safety at risk.
Heat Trace Cable
This is one of the few roof ice dam solution suggestions that actually tackles the root of the problem. Heat from the cables will stop ice dams from forming on your roof in the first place and mean that no damage can occur on your roof or spread to attic below.
While heat trace cables can be more expensive than other products out there, it is more effective at treating ice dams, which justifies its price tag. It will save you money in the long run when there’s no damage to repair!
Some heat trace cables are expensive to run, but systems like HotEdge use 50 per cent less heating cables to keep electric bills down and are more effective at keeping ice dams away for good. You are definitely on to a winner with this roof ice dam solution!
