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Home Maintenance Tip                           January 2014 
Happy new year!  I got a question today which plagues me as well - ice buildup in my gutters.  With this thaw/freeze cycle it's hard to avoid.  I've mentioned how to prevent ice dams in the past, but once the ice has formed, how do you get it out?  Read on...     Fred, thanks for raising this question!
Ken
Removing Ice from Gutters
Here are 3 options:
  1. scatter some ice melt (calcium chloride) in the gutters.  Rock salt is too corrosive.
  2. fill the legs of old pantyhose or knee-high stockings with ice melt.  Place them on the roof perpendicular to the gutters with the "feet" in the gutters.  This will also help melt ice on the roof
  3. install heat cables in the gutters (although this is probably overkill in our area)
Let me know if you have any luck with any of these options! Unfortunately they do require getting up near the roof.  So be sure not to try this during bad weather -- be careful on the ladder and don't place the ladder in snow or ice.

(solutions courtesy of Kassidy Emmerson on Yahoo Voices)
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