Ice Dams - Tips for Leak Prevention / Damage Control

Tim,
I have a 100+ year old single story building. A previous owner extened the aft portion of the structure which flattened the pitch of the roof. Without going into too much detail, the only sure way to prevent the seasonal ice dams is to install a new cold roof which I can't afford. A roofing contractor spoke of two new products to melt the ice dams. One, a "sock" type tube about 18" long that once chemically activated, melts the ice. The other is a "tablet" (similar in size to a hockey puck) that is likewise placed up in the ice dam area and melts channels in the ice dam.
I have been unable to locate either such product. Any clues or suggestions?
Thanks.

John,
You need to stop and read all of my ice-dam columns. You *can't* stop ice dams, but you can stop the leaks.

Alright Tim, I've read all your articles on Ice Dams. I pretty sure that's what I got but not 100%.

I've left messages with my contractor and a snow removal company. I'm in Eastern Idaho where homes are required to be engineered for snow load but this has been a huge year and we're socked in with storms right now I doubt anyone will be able to get out for a few days.

I don't have an attic but I do have water in the wall right around a window. The trim is getting soaked, the paint is starting to pucker and the carpet is wet and it's dripping through the stairwell underneath.

I'm clear on all the things I can have done once the weather moderates to make sure ice dams don't do this again. But what do I do about the water now, until we can get some of the snow load down and get a membrane in place in the spring?

I feel so helpless sitting here watching my house be damages. Is there anything I can do from the inside to lessen the damage?

Lisa,
You are 100% up to speed. The bad news is there is only one thing you can do to stop the pain. Remove the source of the water. This means get the snow off the roof. You and I know this is very dangerous and hard to do. There are tools now that make it somewhat possible. You know those man lifts you see on jobsites that are mobile cherrypickers? You maybe can rent one and be in a bucket suspended over the roof pulling the snow off. It would be insanely difficult, but the only way I know of to get rid of the water.

We have an icedam on our roof above our kitchen. There are icicles formed all over the house. We now have water leaking into our kitchen. my husband is on top of the roof as we speak trying to get the snow off. The ice is so thick should we use water to melt it or use salt?? We have lived here for 12 years and have never had a problem. what can we do??

I have an ice dam problem with a small leak now inside a window as the temp has climed to over 40. A new front will bring more snow in a couple of days. We have had the snow cleared twice now, but the ice cycles really indicate the presence of an ice dam. Our dilemma is that we are in a manufactured home.... built in the northwest - (that should be prepped for this problem!). Do I read you right in most of your articles, you are suggesting the installation of a membrane? Also, do we just try to keep the snow cleared as much aspossible around the edges of the roof, and then perform the repairs in the spring?

I have a laundry room additon to my home andit is approx 30 years old, and I have a new window in the room, the inside roof caved in because of water damages, it was replaced and had the roof done twice in 5 years and I still have water leaking in through the new window frame and I religiously remove the snow off the roof with a roof rake. I was told I had to put a new roof on to the addition to increase the slope and butt it up to the main house and it would cost about $4000.00cdn is this a viable remedy I am desperate. Thank you