Icicles look cool, but could mean trouble

WASHINGTON — Icicles hanging off a roof make for one of winter’s most striking sights. But if you see them on your house, it could mean trouble.

Home improvement expert Glenn Haege says that if you have icicles, you have an ice dam – and that can back water up under your shingles.

Haege’s suggestion? Pantyhose. Fill one leg with magnesium or calcium chloride – not rock salt – and put it on the first row of shingles. That will melt a path for the water.

And be sure not to run your bathroom fan, Haege says, until the low temperatures only get down to 45 degrees.

WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.

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