It is completely natural to look at icicles forming on the roofline of your home and marvel at them. There is not a more picturesque sight of winter than that. However, those beautiful icicles you’re looking at mean trouble for your roof. Icicles, or ice dams, can cause significant damage to your roof. It is important to know how to remove them and even avoid them in the first place so that you don’t run into roofing problems this winter. Nickerson Roofing is here to talk about the dangers of ice dams and what you can do to make sure they don’t form in the first place.
How Do Ice Dams Form?
First, you need to understand how ice dams form in the first place. They form when there is warm air coming out of your attic that starts to melt the snow on your roof. If your home isn’t properly insulated, the warm, moist air from inside your home will cause the roof to warm up as well. When this happens, the snow starts to melt and icicles, or ice dams, start to form on your roofline.
Why Should I Worry About Ice Dams?
While ice dams are beautiful to look at, they can cause significant damage to your roof if you leave them to keep getting larger and larger. Here are some of the problems that can come as a result of ice dams.
– Gutters may tear away from your home
– Shingles can start to loosen
– Water could start to seep into your home
– Heavy ice dams can cause the entire roof to start to sag
– It can also cause paint to start peeling from your home
– Ice dams could cause damage to your insulation as it gets wet
– Mold & mildew could start to grow
How Do You Get Rid of Ice Dams?
The best approach to ice dams is prevention rather than removal. There are a couple different approaches you can take to keep ice dams away.
– Heat Trace Cable: This is a good option for those that have an ice dam problem on part of their roof but not the entire thing. These cables warm up and keep ice dams from forming anywhere on your roof line.
– Metal Roof Skirting: A metal roof is one of the best ways to keep ice dams from forming on your roof. It is important that metal roof skirting is installed just right or your could still run into problems with ice dams.
Professional Rooftop Snow Shoveling, Raking & Removal, Ice Melting Systems & Snow Retention, De-Icing Cable Systems, 18 Gauge Steel Welded Gutters & More in Truckee, Mystic, Tahoe City, Kings Beach & The North Lake Tahoe Basin of California
If you have ice dams on your home this winter, you can turn to Nickerson Roofing to help you remove them without causing damage to your home. We will also help you install the perfect solution to your ice dam problems. Our professional roofers know how damaging ice dams can be to your roof. Call us today!
