Ice Dam Help

[stripermaineiac]

If you can't find any just use mortons pickling salt. Get it wet and make a salt ball and throw it on the roof above the ice damn.

[JohnR]

And these saltballs / pucks don't create more problems that what already exists?

Does the meling create even more issues or does the thing go China Syndrome through the ice dam and make a breach?

[nightfighter]

In theory, the calcium chloride will melt a trough down and over the frozen gutter. The water has enough of the chemical to keep the opening from re-freezing and prevents a build up which causes the leaks.

You will want to hose the calcium chloride off the roof in the spring, but it will not damage the roof between now and then. It certainly outweighs the damage of leaks to the interior.... but do not use rock salt.