Shards away!

Eight years ago, Eddie Fagan had an idea. As he tried to remove icicles from his tenants' one-story homes in North Syracuse, he thought, "Wouldn't it be easier if there was a tool for this job."

"People were going in and out all the time and kids were playing in the yard, and with the icicles forming around the doorways, it was dangerous. I feared for my tenants," he said.

Hassled by the use of axes and ladders, Fagan set to work on an invention that would not only be safer, but also easier to remove the icicles. On March 23, 2010, Fagan received his patent, and the De-Icicler was official.

The De-Icicler is a steel, 1 pound 1 once blade with a tooth-like edge used to knock down small icicles off roofs before they cause serious damage, said Fagan. With a circular hole in the center, the tool can also be slid up around the icicle, and then used to pull the ice away from windows. Standing at a 30 degree angle, the user avoids being hit by the falling icicles.

The De-Icicler is designed for an average sized one-story home, more specifically over windows, doorways and garages The process takes about two to three minutes to go along one side of a one-story home and knock down the icicles.

Icicles cause a variety of damage to the homeowner and their home, explained Fagan. When someone exits a doorway and they slam the door, an icicle could fall on their head. Falling ice could also damage outdoor meters, cars and patio furniture, and dammed water could cause damage to shingles on the roof. And when ice begins to melt and drip, dangerous puddles of ice form that could cause a fall.

"I'd like to save some lives with this thing," he said.

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