During the Denver snowstorms, it’s important to do everything you can to keep your home and family safe. It can be tempting to use rock salt to melt ice and soften snow that has accumulated on your roof.
But the notion of using rock salt successfully on the roof is a myth. In reality, using these salts on your roof can cause serious damage to your home. Not only does it accelerate corrosion of your shingles’ nails and steel gutters, but it also rusts out the metallic parts of your roofing system that causes leaks to seep through. This can lead to long-term damage to the structure and safety of your home.
Here are 5 reasons why you should never use rock salt on your roof:
It’s not effective: While rock salt can melt ice and snow on your sidewalks, it’s not a very effective strategy when it comes to clearing snow off the rooftop in Denver, where temperature can drop as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit during winters. Rock salt will be able to melt ice only if the temperature is down to 20° F. In layman’s terms, it will only be effective if the temperature is on the ‘ warm side of freezing’ i.e., 20 to 32° F.
It’s not practical: Because ice dams are nothing but large masses of frozen water, it would take too much salt to melt them into a pile of slush. Not only that, but it doesn’t work well on slush, either — the ice underneath can freeze again over the top layer of salt, creating a new dam.
It rusts the nails: Rock salt can corrode nails holding your shingles to the roof. The corrosion can cause stains and streaks not just on your roof but on your deck too. The nails can rust and break if the corrosion gets too deep. Once a nail breaks, it’s only a matter of time before that shingle is torn off by wind or water.
It rusts other building materials: As rock sale melts, the ice and the weather affect the salt, which will wash over the eaves of your roofing system and the rest of your roof. In addition, it can corrode the downspouts and damage driveways and sidewalks where the melted salt ends up pooling.
Can I use Table Salt instead of Rock Salt?
Using table salt to melt ice off of your roof is a big no-no. Table Salt has the same chemical composition as rock salt, but it has been ground into smaller pieces. This makes it dissolve faster and easier, but it will damage your roof just as likely as the rock salt would. That’s why we suggest clearing snow off your roof with the help of professionals.
Denver roofers can efficiently remove snow, ice, and other debris accumulated on your roof. This protects the integrity of your roof from getting damaged by debris and snowmelt, which can lead to water damage in your home.
Call our ice dam removal experts at Sol Vista Roofing today if you’re affected by ice dam problems this winter. We can effectively help remove and prevent future ice dams with proper methods that will not jeopardize the health of your roof! We’ve helped many customers in the local area with ice removal, and we can assure you that we can help you too!
