Help! Ice Damming & Leaking Windows!

[Laurajean]

Haven't been on in a while; still very ill, but I have a question for anyone who can help. First I discovered water dripping in the top of my bathroom window, then discovered the same thing in my living room window, and now it's dripping in my kitchen window. There is a good foot of snow on my roof, and in some areas underneath there is also almost a FOOT OF ICE!!

What can I do? I read the thread about using nylons with rock salt, but this is way beyond that fix. I can't afford to hire anyone right now, so I need to do something myself. I don't have a roof rake, but even if I go buy one that won't get rid of the thick ice. Should I just start chopping at it with a metal hoe or something? And if I do that, I'm afraid of damaging my roof. I don't know what to do, I have cups on all my window sills, this is ridiculous.

Any suggestions??

 

[bakerjw]

In the past I took a garden hose and hooked it up to the hot water connection to the washing machine. All I needed to do was melt some troughs through the snow and ice down to the shingles to relieve the back pressure. Sure the neighbors may think it odd but they'll be out doing it too if they get ice dams.

Using a hoe is ok but you do risk damaging shingles.

Best of luck.

 

[wildorchid053]

i would be throwing rock salt up there to at least get it started and a few run off slits through the ice. if you have water coming in through the windows it is already inside your walls.. need to get it off now!

 

[WingingIt]

I agree with everyone so far. Throw some rock salt up there to get it started and once the sun is up and you can see to safely work, hack some of it off with whatever you've got or run a hot water hose and melt it off. If it's a foot thick you've got plenty of space to work in before you worry about hitting the shingles. Hopefully once you get near the bottom near the shingles it will come off in big chunks for you. If it's leaking it's under the shingles already, though, so you need to get it off there because it's only going to get worse. Please make sure there is a neighbor or friend or someone watching you, though, it's a dangerous time to be on a ladder.

 

[Laurajean]

Boy, that's going to be A LOT of rock salt! I'll have to try and get someone to help me, I'm too ill to do this on my own.

 

[3goodeggs]

I interrupt this thread with an important up date:

You have been ill TOO LONG! time to call auntie and dad. yes, I understand wanting to handle things on your own terms, but ...that is what they are there for. You would want them to feel free to call you if they needed you, right?
You won't need a roof if you are not around to use one.
(I am using my stern 'mom' face here. Envision the eyebrows not the voice.)

okay, now back to the original intent of this thread.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:

I mean:

I am under medical care at this point, I have accepted that I cannot do this alone, and just got off the phone with a friend who is bringing rock salt and a hoe (not the kind you're thinking of either, get your mind out of the gutter!). I am way too weak to do this alone, if at all, so yes MOM, I've got help coming.

 

[SillyChicken]

There are a few things you can do... but please be careful!

take a stiff push broom and pull the lose snow off your roof above the dams, then you'll need to put salt on the roof. Anything else will damage your roof (careful with that hoe-you don't know where it's been! no actually it could damage the roof) .

To fix it... If you can get into your attic, you need to make sure your insulation is not tucked up to the roof decking. There needs to be an air space between the roof and your eaves so the air can come from outside and get into your attic space, mix with the warmer air and be vented out. If your insulation is blocking the ventilation it will cause damns because it melts the snow on your roof, the water then wicks up under your shingles and leaks into your walls.. The whole span of your roof'/eaves need to be clear. You may also want to make sure everything isn't wet. And not that you want to hear this, but if your insulation is wet, you'll need to replace it. It will cause mold in your attic (along with poor ventilation). And wet insulation is no longer a good insulator.

PM me if you need help.