- 1). Place a ladder against the house and near the ice dams. Make sure that the ladder is high enough but more importantly that it's secure and stable. Never climb or stand on a roof covered with ice and snow.
- 2). Brush away the excess loose snow from the ice dam and all around it too. Use a roof rake for this job and be sure to stand securely on the ladder while working. Pull the snow downward, to the ground and in the direction of the slope. Pulling the snow across may damage your roofing and break your shingles.
- 3). Break off smaller portions of the ice dam with a chisel and a hammer. Make sure to chip only really small parts of ice. Breaking odd large portions can easily damage your gutters or roofing. Be patient and work slowly, one section at the time. If you want to pour warm water on the ice dam and melt it, you only need to make a thin long hole for the water to rush through. In any case, don't apply too much force as your gutter is already under great pressure due to the weight of the ice dam.
- 4). Pour water over your gutters with a hose. If the chisel didn't remove the entire ice dam, hosing the ice dam may be necessary. No matter how hot the water is, make sure to wait until the outside temperature isn't too cold, as it will cool down and freeze the water so fast that your ice dam will only grow bigger.
- 5). Keep the gutters clean once you've removed the ice dam. Hose down any ice, dirt and leaves from the inside and try to keep the gutters relatively clean during the whole winter.
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