The winter months can be rough for your roof. The constant snow storms and extreme temperatures can take its toll. One issue that can be especially hard on your roof and cause extensive damage is ice dams. As beautiful as ice on your roofline looks, it can cause significant and expensive damage to your home. If you have noticed that there is ice forming on your roof every time it snows, it might be time to take action. Nickerson Roofing is here to talk about ice dams and why they are so damaging for your roof.

How Ice Dams Form

It is important that you first understand how it is that ice dams for in the first place. If your attic doesn’t have ventilation, it is common for warm air to get trapped in it from your home. This warm air will start to cause the snow on your roof to melt. As it moves down the roof and gets to the edge of the roof that overhangs your attic, it tends to freeze again. As this happens day after day, it can cause ice dams to form and get heavier and heavier. It also keeps water from flowing off your roof as it hits the ice dam and stops. The combination of weight and pooled water sitting on your roof is a bad thing. Here is some of the damage that can be caused by ice dams:
– Damaged roof sheathing
– Attic condensation
– Roof leaks
– Water damage inside the home
– Attic framing rot
– Mold growth
– Roof collapse
– Gutter damage
– Exterior paint damage
– Shingle damage

How to Prevent Ice Dams

There are several things that can be done to help keep ice from forming on your roofline. Here are our best tips:
– Remove excess snow from your roof with a roof rake or the help of professionals
– Heat trace cables to keep the edge of your roof from being too cold and freezing water
– Metal roof skirting to keep snow from building up on its surface
– Proper attic ventilation in place
– Vent bathrooms to the outdoors rather than the attic
– Seal air leaks around attic hatches
– Keep gutters free and clear of debris
– Ensure the ductwork in the home is properly sealed
– Seal air leaks around wiring and plumbing found in the attic floor

Roof Repair, Replacement & More in Truckee, Mystic, Tahoe City, Kings Beach & The North Lake Tahoe Basin of California

If your home has ice forming on the roofline every time it snows, you might have a problem that needs to be addressed. You can turn to Nickerson Roofing to come inspect your roof and come up with common sense solutions to this issue. We want to make sure your home is protected against severe weather that could cause ice to form on your roof. This will help save you money in roof repairs later. Call us today!