The key is to avoid sodium chloride or rock salt.
Can you put salt on your roof to melt ice.
Provided you use the right type of salt yes.
If you have them you may have heard of the practice of salting gutters this involves stuffing stockings or socks with rock salt then laying the salt in the gutter or on the dam to help melt the ice.
Rock salt s ability to damage driveways and other outdoor pavements is relatively well known but there is another place where rock salt can do damage to your home on the roof top.
A do not put salt on your roof.
Again for the most part you don t want to throw any type of ice melt product on your roof.
When used properly salt can effectively get rid of rooftop snow and ice before buildups damage your home.
Rock salt contains corrosive oxidizing agents making it best suited for removing ice on harder.
The tablets help prevent roof damage by melting through ice dams and allowing water to drain safely.
In their determination to melt away ice dams growing on their roof s eave and thus potentially prevent leakage and damage to their home s interior many reach for.
Rock salt can also leave permanent stains on your roof and walls.
Q i want to use a stocking with salt in it to melt the ice dam on my roof.
Is it safe to use salt on your roof.
Most salt pucks use calcium chloride to melt ice which can cause numerous issues down the line.
Sodium chloride or rock salt is highly corrosive.
The roofmelt ice melt is designed to eliminate the need to climb onto roofs while melt snow.
The tablets are specially formulated with calcium chloride so they won t harm your exterior like products such as rock salt which could rust your gutters and damage shingles.
If there are heavy rains and you already put ice melting socks on the roof the rock salt will dissolve by water and will run down into your gutters so it s best to put them up when it becomes cold.
Salt pucks seem convenient and simple enough to use but if you like your roof s color you may want to steer clear of them.
But it can still rain between you putting the socks on the roof and first snow.
However rock salt is a form of sodium chloride which corrodes metal including the metal nails holding your shingles in place.
Use roof melt tablets to reduce snow and ice buildup that occurs on your roof typically on the eaves and in gutters.
But where do i put this contraption.
For many homeowners in cold regions unsightly and damaging ice dams are a problem throughout the winter.
But if you ve let your ice dam fester for so long that you can t even get a credible ice dam company to help you because they re booked solid salt may help you emerge from your diy ice dam removal adventure as unscathed as possible.
Why you shouldn t use rock salt on your roof.