Ice Dams on Your Roof

The snow falls, and your roof looks pretty with the freshly fallen snow and a blanket of white. But, what happens once the snow begins to melt?

In a perfect world, the ice would gently melt off the roof and fall to the ground again, but most times that is not the case. Popular opinion is that ice dams are caused by gutters, but this is far from true, but ice dams can continue into your gutters if need cleaned and maintained properly before the winter.

Many times, the ice begins to melt, but the edges of the roof begin to accumulate the water and form an ice dam, causing the melting ice to stay in place only to continuously re-freeze and melt until the winter weather lets up and putting you at risk for expensive roof work and water damage. The main cause of this is the water finding its way back under your shingles and leaking into your home.

What you will first notice if you have ice dams is water damage on your ceiling inside your home or on exterior walls where the ice and water are accumulating. This is when you should start to inspect your home to see the status of the ice dam water damage. The next step is to focus on the two preventative measures which are ventilation and insulation.

You may think having a warm attic is great, but the melting and refreezing caused by lack of insulation are causing the ice dams to form in the first place. If you notice spots on your roof without snow, there may be a lack of insulation in that area and would need to be remedied by a professional roofer or insulator. Additionally, beyond just the roof, all areas connected to the roof such as stairways should be inspected as well.

Ventilation is also key to avoiding ice dams because if heat builds in an attic, then you will continue the process of melting and refreezing, causing ice dams to grow in size. Proper ventilation in all areas close to the roof is key to avoid heat build-up and keep a steady temperature to avoid ice dams. A good measure of proper ventilation is having one square foot of vent for every 150 feet of attic floor area. Use this math to your best judgment and make sure it is professionally assessed.

Some helpful hints to avoiding ice dams:

1) Periodically check on your roof in a safe manner

2) Break up accumulating ice from the roof

3) Keep an eye on your ceilings after a snowfall for any water damage

4) Assess your roof for any “hot spots” and call professionals for next steps

Ice dams can cause costly roof damage and also create unsightly water damage to your home.

Calling Puroclean of Teaneck, NJ to look at the ice dams and the damage being caused inside and outside of your home can allow for the ice dams to be properly taken care of in a cost-effective manner. Our team wants to ensure the safety and stability of your home and structures are maintained professionally, so giving us a call will be the best next step to eliminating ice dams.