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Tips For Clearing Snow Off Your Roof

BOSTON (CBS) - With a storm on the way Saturday in a seemingly never-ending winter, Bay State residents are being urged to clear snow off their roof.

Tom Silva from "This Old House" on PBS offered some tips for clearing your roof before the next storms roll in.

Ice Dam graphic
Ice dams form when snow melts and then refreezes, trapping standing water on roofs.

Silva said residents who own homes with sloped roofs should still be concerned, though flat roofs are more susceptible to collapse.

One big worry is if your roof has ice dams. Ice dams are formed when a heat leaks through insulation, melting snow in a particular spot. That melted snow then seeps down the pitched roof and re-freezes. Then, water starts to build up and over time, it can leak into the roof of your home.

Silva spoke with WBZ-TV's Jonathan Elias about how to properly remove ice dams.

Silva said raking your roof could create an ice dam.

Silva offered tips to avoid creating ice dams, speaking with WBZ-TV's Jonathan Elias.

Holly from Pepperell asks, "Is it okay to use some rock salt on the edge of the roof to deal with ice dams?"

Silva gave his answer and discussed the danger of icicles with WBZ-TV's Jonathan Elias.

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