How To Safely Remove Icicles From Gutters

Icicles are usually one of the first warning signs of possible ice dams on your roof.

How to safely remove icicles from gutters.

Don t try to remove thick. Our experts share fast fixes for ice dam removal long term repair and prevention tips. Before proceeding you should know what risks come with removing icicles from your gutter yourself. Large icicles can weigh quite a bit and hitting them can cause pieces to crash all around or break off new pieces that can strike from above you.

This article will explain what ice dams are how they form and the best methods for removing them safely. Icicles may be pretty but they can tear off gutters loosen shingles and cause water to back up into your house. For small icicles less than a foot long and an inch wide you can remove them yourself with something like a telescoping snow rake available at hardware stores. To prevent icicles from forming in the first place clean out gutters before freezing temps hit to keep items like leaves from clogging the downspouts and allowing water to build up says jason miller a merchandising director for lowe s.

Whether for safety reasons to prevent strain on gutters or even for the satisfaction of knocking them down many of us are tempted to remove icicles ourselves. The icicles dripping from gutters across the region aren t going away anytime soon since the weather forecast calls for sub zero temperatures for the next few days. What is an ice dam. After snow falls use a roof rake to remove all snow and ice as soon as you can.