Do you have a lot of snow built up on your roof? When temperatures temporarily warm up, or if your home has poor insulation, the snow will start melting. Then, once the temperatures start to fall again, icicles will form. Removing icicles hanging from gutters promptly will not only prevent damage to the roof, but will also prevent injury from anyone who may be walking by below.
Follow these six steps and your roof will be clear of icicles in no time!
1. Set a ladder up against the side of the house. Before setting it up, make sure the ground supporting the ladder is not covered in ice and snow. Cover the area with salt ice melt if necessary.
2. Climb carefully to the top of the ladder and remove as much snow as possible using a roof rake, keeping one hand on the rake and the other on the ladder to keep yourself steady. Continue removing the snow until most of it is cleared from the roof.
3. Using a rubber mallet, hit the top edge of all icicles hanging off the roof’s edge. Start out hitting it lightly, adding pressure until the icicles break free. Don’t use an ice pick or any sharp tools, as they may cause damage to your roof. Continue until all icicles are cleared. Make sure no one is standing below while performing this step.
4. Once you have finished and have climbed down the ladder, toss all the pieces of icicles into a snowbank so they can melt. If you leave icicles on walkways, someone could slip on them and fall.
