So You Have an Ice Dam, What Now?

So what do you do then if an ice dam forms on your roof? Well first things first, don’t panic, because it isn’t the end of the world or the livelihood of your roof… unless you ignore the problem, and then it’ll lead to a large CT homeowners insurance claim.  Here’s some common ways to defeat ice dams on your home:

 If you have the ability to reach your roof safely, attempt to knock the ice dam off with a long stick or the best option- a roof rake. If that doesn’t work, try cutting a channel through the ice to allow standing water to drain.

 Another option is to get a nylon stocking with calcium chloride icemelt and place it on the ice dam itself, so that it melts a channel through the dam. 

 Don’t ignore those large icicles hanging around. If they’re solely on your gutters and there isn’t any water trapped behind them, this may not necessarily mean there’s an ice dam, but those icicles are incredibly dangerous.  The best thing you can do is attempt to knock them down safely, and obviously from a distance where you yourself won’t get injured.

 If you cannot reach the roof safely, consider hiring a contractor toremove it.

So be a smart homeowner and don’t ignore the signs of ice dams and those nasty icicles.  Remove them as best and safely as you can, and remember, hire someone to do it if the job is too risky for the average joe without the correct equipment and safety precautions.  We at Paradiso Insurance want all of our CT homeowners insurance customers to be smart about their home’s wellbeing, because living smart and living well will save you money and increase the value of your home!