There is no way around it, the extreme weather that winter brings with it does a number on your house. Your roof is no exception to this rule, in fact, it takes the brunt end of all severe weather. Ice damming is a common problem during the winter months and it can cause damage to your home if it isn’t taken care of. Nickerson Roofing is here to talk about ice damming and how to avoid it.
What is an Ice Dam?
After snowfall, you might notice there is a good amount of snow that accumulates on your roof. If the underside of that snow starts to melt due to the warmth coming from the roof over your attic. Ice damming starts to form as this melted snow again freezes on the edges of your roof. The icicles formed may look beautiful, but they can damage your roof as well as the inside of your home if they are left there too long.
What Damage Can Result from Ice Damming?
If ice damming is left untreated, then water will continue to build up behind it. As this happens, it starts to seep into your shingles and will eventually get past them and leak into your attic. When this happens, it will saturate and cause problems with your insulation in the attic. Not only will it ruin insulation, but water will end up leaking down the walls and do even more damage to the sheetrock and paint in your home. Another problem caused by ice damming is to the exterior of your home. The ice will start to get so heavy that it might break off and take your gutters with it. This ice can damage landscaping, windows, and even people if they are standing in the way of the falling ice.
Ice Dam Removal
When you are trying to remove ice buildup on your roof, the worst thing you can do is try to hit it off with an axe or other sharp tools. This can result in injury and damage to your home. The best tool to use when trying to break the ice off is a blunt mallet. This process takes time so the best way to get rid of it is to call professionals to do it. As far as getting rid of the ice in your gutters is concerned, use calcium chloride ice melt. Absolutely don’t use rock salt to do this, as it will damage your paint, metal and can even cause damage to the plants as it runs out the gutters.
Ice Dam Prevention
The answer to solving an ice dam problem lies beneath your roof’s surface. The problem is the warm air escaping through spaces beneath the roof sheathing. These areas need to be sealed off. Your living space needs to be insulated enough to avoid warmth seeping through the ceiling as well. Making sure your home is properly insulated can make a big difference. And lastly, proper ventilation between the roof sheathing and insulation will give that warm air somewhere to go.
Ice Dam Solutions & Roofing Services in Truckee, Mystic, Floriston, Olympic Valley, Alpine Meadows, Tahoe City, Dollar Point, Ridgewood, Carnelian Bay, Kings Beach, Eder, Norden, Soda Springs & The North Lake Tahoe Basin of California
Any way you slice it, you need the help of professionals like Nickerson Roofing to help you solve your ice dam problem. You may be able to make modifications to your roof to help avoid it or install venting so you can avoid any damage that ice dams can cause. Call us today!
