Ice Dams and How They Can Affect You

1/11/2022 (Permalink)

If snow and low temperatures affect your roof, you might be dealing with an ice dam.

What Are Ice Dams and How Do They Affect You?

The winter can bring many new challenges and situations to a home. If snow and low temperatures affect your roof, you might be dealing with an ice dam. These snowy ridges can block gutters and cause water damage in your home, but there are many solutions that you can use to prevent that from happening.

How It Forms

An ice dam always begins with snow. As it settles on to your roof in Edmond, OK, it freezes when the temperature goes down. However, as the sun comes out during the day and heat from your house escapes through the shingles, things get complicated. The snow melts but hits a ridge of ice and escapes through your roof into your home.

How To Prevent It

It’s always a good idea to start preventing an ice dam before a winter storm settles in. The best way to prevent ice dams is to insulate your roof and prevent heat loss. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Vent the space between the shingles and insulation to direct the heat away from the roof
  
• Seal any air leaks
  
• Insulate more to prevent conduction of heat through the ceiling
  
  

By preventing heat loss, you can prevent ice ridges from forming and save money on heating.

How To Deal With It

If you already have a situation where a ridge of ice is forming and snow is melting, there are a few things you can do right now to prevent water damage. You can start by scraping snow off the roof to prevent further problems. The second solution is to create passageways in the ice to allow the water to escape safely.

If water has already affected your home, be sure to call restoration professionals before mold forms or the damage gets worse. Ice dam coverage can vary, but it doesn’t hurt to call your insurance either. With these solutions and preventative measures, you can stop an ice dam from interfering with your roof and home.