If you live in London or the surrounding area you've already dealt with the incredible amounts of snow on the ground. With warmer weather predicted for the next few days, you may want to turn your attention to your roof.

If you look along your eaves you may notice ice that has collected within, and over, the eave troughs. The concern with this ice formation is that as the snow on the roof continues to melt (either from interior heat leaking through he structure or from the sun and exterior temperatures) the water will inevitably find its way to the trough or gutters. If the water has no place to go it will be forced to back up beneath the shingles and valleys, and ultimately find its way into your home.

One of the easiest ways to help avoid this problem is to remove the large amounts of snow that sit on your roof. Even removing 2 or 3 feet along the edges can be a help. The more snow you can remove, the better. The removal of snow will help decrease the amount of melt-water on the roof, but will also help prevent the snow from acting as an insulator on the ice beneath it. The ice will then have an opportunity to melt at a slower rate and find its way to your troughs.

If your troughs are full of ice, and many people's will be, the remedy is a little trickier. You can try placing ice melter within your troughs, but be careful to find a product that will not harm the shingles and will not harm future garden growth when the chemical eventually finds its way into your gardens beneath the eaves.

You can also chip away the ice with tools, but this may require the use of safety equipment and tools that most people don't have. You also risk damaging your roof and troughs as you strike at the ice.

If you can remove enough snow from the roof, the ice within the troughs should be able to melt and find a natural path out of the gutters. Ensure that the exit points of the troughs are free of ice, snow and debris, so that the troughs don't simply stay filled with water that will ultimately freeze.

If you aren't comfortable doing any of this work yourself, you should consult a contractor with the proper tools and insurance coverage to ensure that your home and the workers are protected.