How To Safely Remove Icicles From Gutters

While standing safely on the ground hold a long handled aluminum rake and use it to scrape the snow and icicles off your roof.

How to safely remove icicles from gutters.

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. Don t try to remove thick. Before proceeding you should know what risks come with removing icicles from your gutter yourself. What is an ice dam.

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. An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof usually at the gutters or soffit. 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.

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. Our experts share fast fixes for ice dam removal long term repair and prevention tips. After snow falls use a roof rake to remove all snow and ice as soon as you can.