During the day, the sun melts some of the snow and ice and sends
it off the roofs of Boston's buildings. Wind and chill set in and
refreeze that water into beautiful icicles like those caught in a tree
in this photo.
Pedestrians Beware
Where you see icicles and ice dams you should be looking down to
avoid icy sidewalks. Yes, homeowners and businesses are supposed to
keep the sidewalks free from ice. You can see the extent that the
Newbury Street business shown in the photo below has gone. They've
built a Rube Goldberg system of chutes and pails to direct the water coming from its roof.
Sand Lasts Longer
Other property owners try ice melting products or chipping away the ice as it forms. As someone who walks miles a day in the city, I can tell you that sand is the best thing to use in this situation. It doesn't melt, takes longer to wash away and gives pedestians traction even as ice begins to reform around it.
Ice Damages Buildings
Ice dams and the resulting icicles can be an alert for anyone shopping for real estate. It can be a sign of deferred maintenance and hidden damage. Another reason for the smart real estate shopper to wander around any target neighborhood and make notes about buildings where you see ice dams, icicles, ice running down the outside of downspouts and icy sidewalks.
If you're a condominium owner in the city and see ice on your building you should push your condominium association and property management company to correct the problem.
Expert Advice on Ice Damage from UMASS
Umass has advice on ice dams on it's site.
"Ice dams cause millions of dollars of damage
every year. Much of the damage is apparent. Water-stained ceilings,
dislodged roof shingles, sagging ice-filled gutters, peeling paint,
and damaged plaster are all easily recognized and usually repaired
when weather or budgets permit. But other damage is not as obvious
and often goes unchecked," says the author, Paul Fisette.
Fisette then outlines possible hidden damage and the steps needed to prevent and correct the problem. A link to the article is in details below.
Details:
Preventing Ice Dams by Paul Fisette
http://www.umass.edu/bmatwt/publications/articles/ice_dams.html
Here are some tools to help with these problems.
