Ice dams are a problem during cold weather in northern climates. They can cause damage if not properly insulated. However, they can also be easily avoided by insulating your roof properly.
What is an ice dam?
Ice dams are chunks that forms along the edge of a roof and prevent the melted snow (water) from running down the roof. Water that backs up behind the dams can leak into a home causing damage to walls, ceilings and insulation.
What causes ice dams?
Ice dams are formed when warm air in the loft causes the roof to heat and the snow to melt, creating a layer of water between the roof tiles. When the water freezes, it expands, pushing against the tiles, and eventually breaking them off.
The ice then drips down the roof, leaving a trail of damaged tiles and leaking roofs. To prevent this damage, make sure the roof stays cool during winter. Keep the outside temperature below freezing, and ensure that any vents are kept closed.
You should also install an automatic defroster if possible, so that the air inside your home remains cooler than the outside temperatures.
Preventing and dealing with ice dams
Even in a snowy part of the country, it is possible to find homes that do not have ice dams. Ice dams can be prevented by controlling the heat loss from the home and keeping the roofs cold.
- Take immediate and long-term action
- Evaluate snow load
- Roof and attic ventilation
- Measure your attic insulation level
- To keep your roof and eaves the same temperature.
- Add extra insulation in your attic floor to help keep the warm air inside your home and out of the attic.
- Relocate or remove heat sources (recessed lighting, for instance) in the attic directly under your roof.
- Check the exhausts. Make sure all ducts from bathrooms, kitchens or other living areas exhaust to the outside, not the attic.
- Check the flashing around the chimney. Over time, the flashing may crack and separate from the roof, causing hot air to potentially escape and allowing water to trickle in along the chimney. Have your chimney or roofing professional check the flashing and, if necessary, repair or replace it.
Prevent heat leakage
The main reason why people get cold feet when buying a new home is because they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into. They assume that they’ll be able to fix any problems that arise later on. But it doesn’t work like that.
Problems only crop up once you’ve moved into a house. That means that you have to live with them until you sell your home. So, before you buy a property, make sure that you do your homework. Ask questions about the history of the building.
Ask about previous repairs and renovations. Make sure that the seller is honest about everything. Also, ask how much the taxes are. You should also consider asking the seller to show you the title deed. This shows who owns the property, and what rights the owner has.
A good agent will be happy to give you a copy of the title deed. Ask him or her about the condition of the property too. Check out the electrical wiring, the plumbing, and the foundation. Look for signs of water damage, termite infestation, and structural issues.
These things could cause major problems down the road.
Cold Roof Solutions
Another good way is not to seal up the attic completely. Upgrading attic insulation to about R 40 can help reduce energy bills. Plug up air leaks to the attic and improve attic ventilation. But whenever you make your house more airtight, check out your combustion appliances (gas water heater, furnace, etc.) for back drafting.
A cold roof isn’t always a perfect solution. With heavy snowfall, you might get ice dams anyway. Ice dams may consistently form at a corner of the roof (where two roofs meet at a 90 degree angle) because they fill up with wind blown snow.
And some sections on the roof may be impossible to use cold. You may have to depend on ice dam prevention products and the secondary strategies when a cool roof isn’t sufficient.
Required Materials for prevention of an ice dam:
- Caulk
- Expanding foam
- Heat cables
- Ice and water barrier
- Insulation
- Roof vent
- Soffit vent
Secondary Ways to Stop Ice Dam Damage
Rake the snow off
Rake the snow off the roof with a special roof rake, install heat cables in ice dam-prone valleys or other spots, and to prevent leaks, add special ice-and-water barrier when reroofing.
Hire an energy professional
Hire roofing professionals who are eligible to deal with the heat transfer problem that creates ice dams.
- The hired contractor must conduct a blower door test to evaluate your ceiling’s assessment. Often times, the professionals also may use an infrared camera to find places in the ceiling where there is excessive heat loss.
- Do not repair interior damage until ceilings and walls are dry.
- Interior repair should be done together with correcting the heat loss problem that created the ice dam(s) or the damage might occur again.
What to do if you already have an ice dam?
Ice dams themselves aren’t really a big deal. It’s the leaky spots that cause the most problems. You might not have to do anything about them if they’re not visible from the outside, either in the sofits or in the attic or ceiling.
Then, during warmer weather, take advantage of the preventative strategies mentioned earlier. If you have leakage from a dam and can’t rake the snow off your roof, the best way to get rid of the dam is to hire a professional roofer to steam it away.
A steamer is similar to a pressure washer, only the water is hot. Using a hatchet or ice pick can damage or crack your roofing materials, while an ice steaming machine melts the ice away without harming the roof.
On a cautious note:
- Anyone on the roof during the winter or performing works on the roof from below risks injury and may cause damage to the roof and house.
- It is absolutely important to contact professionals to carry out these kinds of risk-filled jobs.
- Whenever a house is tightened up, ventilation systems, exhausting devices and combustion devices must have enough air to operate safely and effectively.
Contact us Today for a Free Estimate!
Cambridge Roof Repair is an experienced, trusted, and educated roofing contractor in New Jersey . We have teams of professionals who have been in the business for years so our skills are unmatched. Our past clients can attest to the quality work we deliver. We do not leave a job until our clients are completely satisfied with the outcome. We are also transparent about our prices and processes from start to end. So if you ask where to find a good roofer, call Cambridge Roof Repair today and we’ll give you a free estimate.
How to prevent ice damming on my roof? first posted at Cambridge Roof Repair - Roofing Contractor New Jersey
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