AMHERST, N.Y. — It's a sign of the season in Western New York: houses covered with snow and ice. But as picturesque as it might be, for homeowners, it can present a hazard.

"The big problem with a lot of homes is lack of ventilation through the overhangs of the house and out through the ridge. There's also lack of insolation. Insolation's a big part of it. You're trying to keep the heat from the house in the house and not in the attic which melts the snow, which turns into liquid form melt down to the overhangs, freezes in the gutter, and freezes in layers and eventually turns liquid," said Lance Jason, MMJ Enterprises.

That water can form an ice jam that can force water into you house causing structural damage.

"It gets under the shingles, gets into the siding, under the drywall and just floods your house out," said Dave Nieman, Roof Masters.

Every winter, Jason and Nieman respond to dozens of homes damaged by ice and snow. While Jason says it’s nearly impossible to completely stop the ice and snow from building up, there are some things you can do.

"The calcium, environmentally-safe calcium I sometimes recommend. If you put that in a ladies stocking and throw it over the jam and let it work its way through, eventually it will melt enough ice to release that pocket of water," said Jason.

The one thing he says to never do: take it into your own hands to break the ice jams and icicles hanging from your gutter.

"The amount of weight with all that ice built up will pull you gutter down possibly your soffits as well, and also possibly break a window on the first floor if you have a two-story home," Jason said.

Jason says the bottom line is to check your house's insulation, and if you think the ice and snow poses a threat to you or your house, call a professional.