Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

We've had furnace and plumbing issues amid sub-zero temperatures, now ice dams along the roof line of many area homes, which can cause all sorts of problems.

James Brown with Roof-Rite says the best solution right now is to melt that ice from the edge of your roof and gutters as quickly as possible.

"Potassium chloride, throw it up on the roof to melt the ice. That's pretty common. Gutters, generally exacerbate it. One trick is to take sodium chloride and put it in nylons, and lay in your gutters," he says.

Brown says ice dams are mainly an insulation and ventilation issue, which require preventative maintenance before winter sets in.

"You'll see moisture. Sometimes you'll see leaks or stains in the drywall," he says. "The most important thing is to try to avoid that with the proper insulation and ventilation."

"Insulations companies don't always do it properly. They'll take your existing vents and block them in the eves. They need to be baffled properly so they continue to breathe when they put insulation in."

Melting the existing ice will help prevent water from seeping between shingles right now.

"If you can get a handyman to break off the ice or melt it with sodium chloride, that is in your best interest," says Brown.

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