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Ice dams and how to protect your home from them

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Snow piled atop homes and dangling icicles can be a beautiful winter sight, but can quickly turn into a homeowner's nightmare costing thousands of dollars.

Ice dams and how to protect your home from them

"If you have an ice dam, it's because of a lack of insulation and ventilation on your roof and in your attic space, or along your soffit the ice dams build up on the roof edge," said Jonathon Vanbeck managing partner of Vanbeck's Roofing and Siding.

When there's snow on your roof, heat transfers from your home and melts the snow. As the water slides down, it refreezes, causing a thick layer of ice to build up along the edge.

"If it stays cold outside and the snow keeps building up and the heat is transferring, you'll end up with, you know, 6-12 inch, 14 inch ice dam," he said.

Ice dams can create a laundry list of problems, from damaging your shingles to icicles falling and hitting someone. Vanbeck says if there's too much ice on your gutters, they could be ripped off, along with your
fascia boards.

The best way to avoid these issues starts with ventilation and insulation.

"You want to keep things you want air flowing through your soffits and out your ridge vent. You want the attic space to stay as cool as the outside," Vanbeck told FOX 17.

Clearing your gutters and removing snow from your roof is essential. Homeowners can use a roof rake to pull snow from their roofs. However, if an ice dam has formed, the safest thing to do is call in a professional.

"We put channels through the ice, and then we'll apply calcium chloride, which works a lot better than salt will apply the calcium chloride to the roof," he said. "Then as the ice melts, it will go down through the channels."

If an icicle falls and hits your HVAC, it could cost thousands to repair and if it hurts someone, Vanbeck says that's a can cause irreplaceable damage.

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