Rock Salt On Your Roof

Why you shouldn t use rock salt on your roof.

Rock salt on your roof.

Rock salt can melt ice only at temperatures down to 20 f 6 67 c. It will damage the roofing siding gutters and downspouts and the poisonous runoff will kill foundation plants. What rock salt is doing to your roof. It should be no surprise then that it is the first thing many people think of to remove ice dams.

While it works and will remove snow and ice from your roof and prevent accumulation it is not recommended to use rock salt on your roof. However rock salt is a form of sodium chloride which corrodes metal including the metal nails holding your shingles in place. Rock salt s ability to damage driveways and other outdoor pavements is relatively well known but there is another place where rock salt can do damage to your home on the roof top. Discolored shingles dead shrubbery dead grass discolored driveway sidewalks or front stoop corroded gutters and downspouts rust and pits on your flashing which.

Just say no to salting your roof. Unlike other substances salt won t impair your cognitive functions but people might conclude otherwise if they see what you ve done to your roof and property. In this article we hope to address the main reasons why rock salt is not a good way to cure ice dams. In their determination to melt away ice dams growing on their roof s eave and thus potentially prevent leakage and damage to their home s interior many reach for.

Sodium chloride or rock salt is highly corrosive. This is because of its temperature limitations the impracticality of reapplying it during adverse conditions and the large volume. Rock salt is not the most effective or efficient method for managing snow on your rooftop. Rock salt can also leave permanent stains on your roof and walls.