Home › Learn From The Pros › Ice Dam Removal: The Do’s and Don’ts Ice Dam Removal: The Do’s and Don’ts November 11, 2020 If you live in an area that sees snow during the winter, one of the problems that you may face as a homeowner is the formation of ice dams in your gutters. In fact, if your gutters begin to form ice dams, gutter cleaning experts recommend that you have them removed immediately. Otherwise, they could cause moisture problems for your home. However, when doing so, keep in mind of a few dos and don’ts, such as: Do: Use a Rubber Mallet When ice dams form on your gutter system, you need to break the ice to effectively remove it from your gutters. When doing this, experts recommend that you ask your ice dam removal specialist use a rubber mallet to carefully break the ice dam into small chunks. That way, they won’t have to use a hammer as it can damage your gutters and shatter your shingles at the same time. Don’t: Attempt a DIY While you’re more than free to try and remove the ice dams on your own, it’s never recommended that you attempt to DIY the removal. This is because removing the ice dams require a lot of movement while standing on a ladder at the same time, putting you at the risk of sustaining injuries. Instead, hire gutter contractors to get the job done for you so the ice dams can be removed while keeping yourself safe at the same time. Do: Use a Wheeled Rake Apart from the rubber mallet, ask your ice dam removal expert to use a wheeled rake to remove the snow load from your roof. By doing so, not only will the source of accumulating water be removed but your contractors can also keep themselves safe by not preventing loss of balance through the use of a shovel. Don’t: Use Rock Salt According to experts, you should never use rock salt to melt the ice dam as not only can it kill garden plants but it can corrode the metal components of your gutters as well. Gutter protection is important and the best way you can protect your gutters is by installing a gutter guard in the entire system. If you intend to do so, don’t hesitate to turn to Advantage Seamless, the leading experts to turn to when it comes to installing gutter guards and seamless gutters. Give us a call at 218.558.0575 or fill out our contact form to request a FREE estimate.