Tips To Avoid Ice Dam-age

(CBS) -- The warmer weather is a welcome sigh. But it brings potential water woes for homeowners.

Ice dams. With melting snow and ice and rain, they can cause water damage inside your home.

Bob Garmoe with Roof to Deck says it's one of the worst years he's seen.

The best way the professionals fight the frozen water is with boiling water, like a steam blowtorch.

"We cut the ice into chunks, we make lines along the front and back of the gutter, cut it into small sections and then we toss it onto the ground," Garmoe says.

With the ground frozen to a depth of 6 to 9 inches, all this water needs a place to go.

Make sure the downspouts are clear, as well as any extensions. Clear any drains on your property and any sewers in the street.

Water can get into your basement. Northern Illinois Waterproofing's Mark Olson says there are several ways it gets in: "Over the top of the wall, through a crack in the foundation, and even through where the wall and the floor meet."

Clear patios and decks; get snow away from the house.

Olson advises home owners to shovel snowdrifts that may be above the foundation line. And don't forget those window wells.