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Knocking down icicles won’t help prevent ice dams, as the dams form on the bottoms of your roof slopes and not on the gutters themselves. However, removing icicles can reduce the risk of injury if they form over heavily trafficked areas, and it can help prevent permanent damage to your gutters. Just be sure to wear safety equipment and always stay on the ground while knocking them down.

Rubbing alcohol may also remove ice from your driveway in a pinch. It has a lower freezing point than water, which expedites the unfreezing process. Pour 70 percent isopropyl alcohol into a quart or half-gallon spray bottle and spray it on your driveway. You do not have to dilute it with water.

While it’s less common than on other kinds of roofs, yes, ice dams can form on metal roofs. Metal roofs, particularly those with snow guards installed, can still accumulate ice at the roof edge, although ice dams on metal roofs are less likely to cause roof or interior damage than on traditional asphalt shingle roofs.

While most people associate defrosting icy roads with salt, you can also use sugar for a similar result. Sugar lowers the freezing point of water, melting ice in a pinch.

However, sugar doesn’t melt ice as well as salt because it doesn’t separate the water molecules as efficiently. So, if you need to quickly melt a stubborn patch of ice on your driveway or walkway, it’s best to use salt over sugar for faster results.