FOR SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS

• Call a licensed and insured ice-removing service. Steaming is the most recommended method for removing ice without damaging shingles. Expect to pay $250 or more per hour.

• Toss on ice melters -- "pucks" of salt designed for the job or stockings filled with an ice melter such as magnesium chloride or urea, which are safer for plants, pets and roofing materials than standard sodium chloride. Place them perpendicular across the ice dam to cut channels for water to drain to the roof's edge.

• Rake snow gently off the roof with a roof rake. Don't scrape down to the shingles.

FOR THE LONG TERM

• Insulate the attic and channels where warm air might escape.

• Install heat "coils" or lines on the roof, which melt ice from eaves. (These might still allow ice to form in gaps.)

• Consider a metal "raised seam" roof, which can reduce leakage.

BUT DON'T

• Climb onto an icy, snowy roof.

• Use hammers, axes or ice picks, which can damage shingles.

• Pull on large, stubborn icicles. That could shake loose an entire gutter.

TO LEARN MORE

Read up on ice dams at www.startribune.com/a106.