Today our blog is back to reality, and that reality is the snow and ice covering most of our homes! This morning the icicles hanging off your roof and gutter may look beautiful but, there could be a serious and costly problem lurking behind them!
Ideally, as the temperatures rise the snow and ice on your roof will melt, go into the gutters, and from there enter onto the ground. The warmer your attic is the more melt off that will occur on your roof’s surface. Usually this melt off flows off the edge (eaves) of the roof but sometimes when the temperatures are really low the water will refreeze at the eaves instead of flowing off. The refreezing of the water forms an ice dam, a mound of ice that blocks the path of the water run-off.
Once an ice dam forms the water behind it can leak back under the shingles on your roof and into your home. If your roof has a low slope, even the smallest ice dam can cause water backup and leaks. Ice dams can cause plaster ceilings and walls to crack, rotting joists, wet insulation, mold to form, wet carpets, paint to peel, and the list goes on! Sometimes just the weight of the ice dams cause downspouts and gutters to pull away from your home which also can damage the fascia boards.
For ice dams to form there needs to be heat loss, snow or ice buildup, and subfreezing temperatures. The longer the subfreezing temperatures drag on higher probability that ice dams will occur. The biggest key to preventing ice dams is controlling the heat loss from your home’s attic. This prevents snow melting on your roof.
There are two factors that cause heat loss from your attic: inadequate insulation and warm air leaking from gaps. Proper insulation and ventilation of the attic and sealing areas where heat can escape should keep your roof’s temperature near outdoor temperatures. Below are a few tips for prevention:
• Attics should have at least 12” of insulation
• Seal any passages through the attic where heat can escape (i.e. chimneys, plumbing vents, folding attic stairways, recessed lighting, etc)
• Proper ventilation to allow any heat that does enter the attic to exit (i.e. gable, soffit, ridge vents)
If you believe you have an ice dam you can hire a restoration or roofing company to remove the dam as salt, hammering, and chiseling can damage your roof and gutters. It is important to have your home inspected by a restoration expert if you fear you have suffered damage due to an ice dam. Most damage done by ice dams is not always visible to the eye and can be structural.
A few more snowy weather tips:
• Interior doors that stick may be a sign of heavy snow on your roof
• To keep furnaces and water heaters working properly remove snow from outdoor vents
• To avoid gas buildup insides keep outdoor gas meters snow free