preventing ice dams

[jimneye]

I have a metal roof with good attic insulation, but when the sun warms the roof I get some melt and eventually water leakage.  I really don't want to climb onto the roof I have a 2 story with a full attic. What can be done?

[JustaShooter]

I've heard that the key is air flow on the under side of the roof - that is, soffet vents to let cold air in and ridge vents to let the slightly warmer air out.  There is a formula for how much venting you need per square foot of space, but I don't know what it is. 

Hope this helps.

Just a Shooter (and home owner)

[mao10]

I dont know if this would be hard on your metal roof but it worked wonders on my grandmothers house last year when her house developed dams and the water backed up under the shingles.  I bought some panty hose and made small pouches filled with a deicer out of them.  I then tied a length of twine on each of them.  Once you have enough you throw them up on the roof and use the twine to pull them down to the ice dam.  I spaced them about every five feet or so.  After a couple of days the deicer had melted channels in the ice dam allowing the water to flow down through.  I don't know if this will be any help to you or not but it worked for me. I hope it helps.