Navigating Minnesota’s snowy and icy roads can be challenging at times and even treacherous. Though, have you ever considered the potential dangers and damages that the heavy snow and ice piling up on your home’s roof can cause? It may seem a benign question for some. However, don’t let those charming icicles and the beautiful snow deceive you. Ice formations on the eaves of your roof can have a devastating impact on your home causing extensive damage. Here’s what to know about the formation of ice dams, the potential for damage, and how to prevent ice dam damage to your home from the start.
What Are Ice Dams?
Take a look at the eaves of your roof. If the snow and ice are deeper there on the eaves than on the other parts of the roof, you have ice dams. Or, in the least, you have the beginning of ice dam formations. The reasons for ice dam formations are simple. Even in freezing temperatures, heat from your home warms up the roof just enough to melt the snow and ice that lay on top. The water from the melting snow and ice flows down the roof to the eaves. Now, the eaves don’t receive the same heat from your home as do the other portions of your roof. Therefore, when water reaches the eaves in subfreezing temperatures, the water re-freezes layer upon layer day and night time and again.
Potential Ice Dam Damage
Ice dams carry the potential to do extensive damage to your roofing system. The expanding and contracting ice formations can lift and rip shingles, tear off gutters, and heavy ice can fall dangerously to the ground below. Further, the substantial amount of water from melted ice and snow can permanently damage roof decking, attic timber, attic insulation, ceilings and the interior and exterior walls of your home.
How To Prevent Ice Dam Damage
Contact a roofing company to remove the ice dams.
Ice dam removal can be a dangerous task and should only be performed by a professional company well experienced working with roofs. An amateur company or amateur individual is more prone to workplace accidents and injuries and damage to body and your home.
Schedule a professional roof inspection.
The presence of ice dams on your roof is an indicator of problems with the roofing system. So, the roof inspection serves both purposes of determining why ice dams are forming and determining if your roof needs repairs.
Seal attic air leaks and add insulation.
The two primary causes of ice dams are air leaks between the heated living spaces and the unconditioned attic and, secondly, a lack of adequate attic insulation. Your professional roofing contractor can check for these problems during the roof inspection, and provide you with a detailed report of exactly what your attic and roof need to prevent future ice dams and ice dam damage.
If you have ice dams on your Twin Cities Metro area home, contact the pros at Younger Exteriors through our online form or call us at (612) 360-0320!
