In Minneapolis, ice dam removal should be part of every homeowner’s maintenance program. It needs to be part of their strategy to keep their home safe and dry. If you wonder how best to prevent and fight the problem for the short term or even prevent its occurrence, you need only consider the items provided in the following lists.
Ice Dam Removal: The Short Term Solution
There are a few short term solutions that are effective concerning ice dam removal. The first are preventive; the others is following the formation of ice dams.
1. Snow Removal: The short term solution for ice dam removal in Minneapolis is to remove the snow from your roof. You can use a roof rake to remove the snow from the edges or call in the professionals. If you or they remove all the snow, you will have no ice dams. They cannot form.
It is important you remove the snow before it becomes an ice dam forms and causes damage. Usually, snow removal should take place when it measures about 6-inches on your roof. Some home owners can allow a foot of snow before it is necessary to remove it. Such factors as the shape of the roof, its age and the risk of the formation of ice dams need to be considered.
2. Clean Gutters: While having clean gutters will not entirely prevent the formation of ice dams, making sure they are clean is a preventive measure. It can reduce the risk of ice forming in already clogged gutters, therefore compounding the problem. Gutter maintenance should happen at least twice a year: in Fall before the snow begins to fall and in Spring as a means of removing the winter deposits.
3. Ice Dam Removal: If for whatever reason, ice dams do form, you need to take care of them immediately. In Minneapolis, ice dam removal is one way of protecting your home from potential and costly damage. Call in experts to clear the roof from the ice dams.
Ice Dam Removal: The Long Term Solutions
There are long term solutions to the problem of ice dams. Many homeowners do not take this route if for no other reason than the expense. If you have the money and the time and/or are remodeling your home, they may be worth considering:
Insulate: If you add insulation to your attic floors, you will prevent the loss of heat that will protect the roof and act to prevent conditions that are a causal factor in the formation of ice dams.
Ventilate: Make sure the attic, roof and eaves are well-ventilated. This will act together with insulation to reduce the risk of ice dam formation.
Yet, even if you do both these things, you may still require short term solutions to your problem. If it recurs, your best bet is to call in the specialists. In Minneapolis, ice dam removal companies are there to help you take care of this smaller problem before it becomes a much larger one.
