How to Avoid an Ice Dam on Your Roof This Winter
If you’re having issues with water leaks in your home this winter, there’s a decent chance that you’ve got an ice dam on your roofline. Formed when warm meltwater from your roof flows onto the cold eaves, an ice dam can cause water to back up onto your roof’s surface, pooling until it’s able to find a way down. Unfortunately, in many cases, this happens by going through the underside of your roofing material and into your home.
Here are some details on how ice dams form, and some tips on ice dam prevention for your Buffalo home.
How to Avoid an Ice Dam on Your Roof This Winter
The primary way that ice dams start is when insulation is displaced or compacted in your attic, reducing its effectiveness. As the insulation allows more heat into your attic, any snow that lands on it can melt, allowing it to flow downhill. However, your home’s eaves, the bits of the roof that hang out over your walls to keep water off of them, are not as warm as the rest of your home. This cold zone allows the water to freeze again. Over time, this forms a dam made of ice.
A fall roof inspection can help ensure that your roof is in decent shape for the coming winter, but it doesn’t stop at the surface. Take time to look around in your attic. Have you had any animals get in that may have displaced insulation while trying to build a nest? Curious children wondering what all that fluffy stuff was? A teenager looking for a hangout who compressed your insulation batts? Whatever the cause, you’ll want to fix that quick to avoid problems with ice dams and to improve your energy efficiency.
If you do find yourself with an ice dam on your house, don’t allow it to continue building up, because it can loosen shingles and damage your gutters. A temporary fix can involve cooling the roof with a fan from the inside, encouraging the water to freeze. A better fix is to use steam to melt the ice, or scatter deicer on the ice dam to melt it. If you can’t fix the source of the problem, consider having snow removal service for your roof to remove the snow before it can melt and cause problems.
By taking steps to avoid an ice dam on your roof, you can avoid a lot of potentially expensive roofing repairs that will need to take place once it’s removed. If you suspect you already have an ice dam on your roof, or need tips on ice dam prevention for your Buffalo home, the seasonal roofing maintenance professionals at AVA can help. Reach out today and find out how we can get your roof back to normal!
