Cool it when it comes to icicles on the roof

Iowa homeowners might be tempted to knock down those huge icicles hanging from their roofs, but one expert on rain gutters says you should resist the temptation. Chris Moore runs a roof and gutter business in Des Moines and says you might do more harm to your house than good, unless the icicles are hanging over a door or a walkway and -must- be taken down for safety reasons.He says be very careful when knocking down the big icicles because it might come down and “knock you right in the head.” He says it’s better just to leave them alone as eventually, they’ll melt. Moore says there’s another reason people should just leave those icicles where they are. He says people who do any damage to their roofs or gutters while trying to remove ice will likely void their warranties. With some areas of the state two-feet deep in snow, many homeowners are concerned about those big sheets of ice, commonly called ice dams, that have formed on top of their roofs. Moore says to leave those alone too. He says if you get up there with a hammer or a hatchet, you could easily cause damage to the gutter, shingles or something else. Again, he says, it’s best to wait for warmer weather to do the work for us.