Freezing rain mixed with already snow-packed roofs could lead to a common problem around people's homes.

Nor’easter Roofing spent most of the day Tuesday removing ice dams from homes in Northbridge and Uxbridge.

President Rob Chaille said dams are caused by a lack of ventilation and insulation in a home.

He said some homeowners will try to remove dams on their own, but it's a difficult job.

"Snow is an insulator and when water melts under the snow and hits your gutter, it causes an ice dam. It’s like a snow cone, it’s just going to keep building because the dam can’t break unless someone physically goes up there and removes it. Physically with hammers, ice melts, calcium chlorides, you don’t want to be using rock salt. You can use nylon stockings and fill them with calcium chloride and run it perpendicular so it goes up towards the roof and create a dam to relieve the water pressure," said Chaille.

He said homeowners can actually create an ice dam by trying to snow rake their roof in colder temperatures.

He recommends only trying it if the weather is consistently above 40 degrees.