1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Post Game:
Buy or borrow the heated cable designed for this. I put one up two years ago, made a world of difference. I think I got 20 ft cable for 50 bucks or something close to that. if you have to you can just lay the cable on top the ice after the the fact.
I have an old crappy roof that needs replacing, along with super sub par insulation in the entire house. I used to be the king of ice damns, especially after I put gutters up so my basement would not flood. this heated cord gizmo does the trick.
I've been told to avoid throwing salt on your roof, depending on what your roofing material is, I think there can be some negative outcome. years past though, when the damns were bad at my place, I started chucking salt up there without thinking twice, mostly on account of the roof already being all jacked up.
For the record, I'm pretty sure any ol salt will do, no? test it: take some table salt, put it on an ice cube, if it melts, it melts. try it at outside temp though. You'll be hard pressed to find any 'rock salt' right now. but when I was a kit my Ma would just take whatever iodized table salt we had around and coat the area near where the mailman had to go. seemed to work back then.
Pre Game
On Gutters:
Keep them clean, make sure they are pitched right, make sure they discharge fast and far. Heated cable mentioned above routes through gutters also. if you can get rid of gutters via a french drain of sorts below where the water runs off the roof, you'll be glad you did. as long as in the end, the rain water is not going in your basement if you have one. If the melting ice cant drain fast enough, it freeezes again at night.
On roof rakes:
Dont buy it if you dont have a way of getting the job done safely. It can be a challenge. I enjoy it because its a helluva workout. Watch out you don't bash a window in by accident, watch out for anything/one below, they can get away from you. Watch out for power lines attached to the house. If you're going to get one, get a good one. I suggest the type that has little plastic rollers/wheels at the bottom so you don't chew your roof up. Plan and measure so you have enough extensions. I think i got mine online, rhymes with Schmamazon.
I'm proud to say for the first winter by keeping my gutters clean and flowing fast away from the house, using the heated cable cord up on the roof, and roof raking I have no ice damns on my old roof. Im near Lowell MA.
ha!
, Tue, 18 Feb 2014 08:29:26, Tue, 18 Feb 2014 12:44:15, Tue, 18 Feb 2014 14:14:42
, Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:45:06
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