What to do if Your Home or Business Forms an Ice Dam
If you have issues with water building up on your roof and leaking into your home, it could be that you have an issue with the formation of an ice dam on your Buffalo home’s roof. This is a complex process, and finding the solution to the problem can take some investigation to find the source of the problem.
But what is an ice dam and what should you do if one forms on your roof?
What to do if Your Home or Business Forms an Ice Dam
An ice dam is a type of ice buildup on the edge of your roof, which forms when there’s heat leaking into uninsulated areas of your roof. When snow hits the warm roof, it melts, and when it flows down towards the edge of your roof. When it hits that cold area, it freezes again, forming a buildup of water behind it that can get underneath your shingles and cause a leak.
Shingles are intended to shed water down a slope. Because an ice dam causes that water to back up in the other direction, shingles can’t protect against the water flow. As the water flows underneath the shingle, it can get in under the roofline and cause serious water damage in your home. For this reason, it’s important to treat it as a problem that will continue to cause damage to your roof if you try to ignore it.
An ice dam needs to be removed as soon as possible, then the source of the problem located and fixed to prevent it from coming back. The roof will also need to be inspected and repaired if needed. Do not try to chip off the ice, as this can cause damage to your roof. Instead, steam or heat is often used to break up the ice and allow the water to move away from its location.
If you have concerns about having ice dams on your Buffalo home or business, but aren’t sure how to take care of the issue, the experienced professionals at AVA Roofing in Buffalo offer roofing repair and maintenance solutions that can help. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.