PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM ICE DAM DAMAGE WITH PANTYHOSE

This weekend’s weather forecast is looking potentially unfriendly for those of us in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent. There’s a reported possibility of overnight snow Friday into Saturday which will then turn to rain Saturday afternoon and back to snow later in the evening, coupled with a drop in temperature. The scenario sets up the potential for a sloppy frozen mess that could not only affect driving conditions, but you home as well.

Time will tell of course, but if it turns out that way, those are the perfect conditions for ice dams to form in your gutters, causing potential problems with your roof and melt water backing up under your shingles, resulting in a leaking roof.

If you do have an ice dam form, you’re going to want to address it quickly, and preferably not with a hammer and chisel. Same goes for salt. Don’t just toss salt onto your roof in the hopes of melting the ice dam. One thing you can do to prevent or limit the damage to your roof and home after an ice dam has formed can be accomplished pretty simply using, of all things, pantyhose!

According to the “This Old House” website, you can fill the leg of discarded pair of pantyhose with a calcium chloride ice melter. Then, lay the pantyhose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. If necessary, use a long-handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position. The calcium chloride will eventually melt through the snow and ice and create a channel for water to flow down into the gutters or off the roof.

DPM Insurance Group’s brokers and support staff are here for you if winter weather damages you home, and will assist you through the claims process to make it as quick and stress-free as possible. But, of course, the quickest and least stressful situation is to prevent the damage before it has the chance to take place.

At DPM Insurance Group, your security is our responsibility.