What Causes ice dams?
An ice dam will form at the bottom of your roof, allowing water to penetrate and cause damage to your walls and ceilings.
When snow melts on a roof, it cascades down until it reaches the roof's unheated bottom edge, where it freezes.
This causes the water to back up beneath the shingles, forming an ice dam.
Due to the recent snowfall in our area, we've had several folks call to report a roof leak, which was most likely caused by an ice dam.
Ice dams can cause serious problems with your gutters, roof, insulation, drywall, paint, external walls, and home structure if they are not addressed quickly and effectively.
Mold infestations are also a possibility.
Any current ice dams should be removed as soon as possible, and further ice formation should be avoided.
Our roofing experts will go over a few important information on preventing and eliminating ice dams in the article below.
What Causes Ice Dams?
An ice dam forms when the snow on the upper, warmer part of your roof melts and flows down to a colder eave overhang and freezes.
As the ice accumulates, it blocks additional melting snow from flowing off the roof.
This causes the ice and snow to back up under the roof shingles, where it melts again and soaks the roof sheathing and leaking into the attic.
From there, it can soak the attic insulation, making it much less effective.
After that, it can leak through the drywall in your ceiling, down into a light fixture, and into your living space, causing water damage.
Large ice dams can be very heavy and damage gutters, and present a safety hazard to anyone below.
Ice dams can only be formed when the space inside an attic along the underside of the roof deck is above freezing.
Ice dams usually start or worsen after a heavy snow because of snow's insulating properties.
The snow traps warm air beneath the snow causing it to melt.
Preventing an ice dam requires the air in the attic or against the bottom of the roof to remain cold.
If it does, it can never melt the snow lying on top of the roof, eliminating the water necessary for ice dams.
Two of the best ways to prevent an ice dam from occurring are replacing old insulation and better ventilation.
Roof ventilation under the roof deck keeps colder outside air circulating through the attic, preventing it from warming above the freezing point.
Proper insulation in the ceiling below the attic prevents warm air from rising into the attic space to melt snow on your roof.
Damage Caused By Ice Damming
The most obvious problem caused by an ice dam is the weight it adds to your roof.
As the ice gets heavier, it can damage gutters and cause structural damage to the roof edge.
But this is not the end of the destruction.
Standing water will find a way through the shingles and eventually make its way into your home.
That water can cause soggy insulation, mold growth in your home, and eventually, cause your paint to peel or blister.
The worst part is you typically won't notice the water intrusion until the damage has been done.
The first sign of an ice dam is icicles hanging from your roof or gutters.
When you see icicles, you should get rid of them immediately and (safely) inspect your roof for ice dams.
How To Prevent Ice Dams
Better or Newer Insulation
A properly insulated attic minimizes heat to escape through the ceiling.
This virtually eliminates the possibility of snow melting and refreezing at the base of the roof.
The amount and type of insulation you need will vary depending on your location, the style of your home, and other factors like your lifestyle.
If you have an open attic, you should insulate the attic's floor.
If you have a finished second-story with a finished ceiling is directly against the roof, you should insulate the rafter spaces in combination with ventilation baffles.
This will eliminate any heat source from reaching your entire roof deck and heating it to a point where it can melt snow on the roof.
Sealing air channels from the living space below the attic is just as important as fixing poor insulation.
Gaps around plumbing pipes or chimneys can be a significant source of heat flow into the attic.
Sealing these gaps should be part of your overall insulation strategy.
The benefit of a comprehensive insulation effort is that it helps prevent ice dams from forming on a snow-covered roof and reduces energy costs.
However, insulation alone rarely is enough to prevent ice dams.
It should be done in conjunction with improved ventilation.
Roof and Soffit Vents
If your home has proper insulation, you probably won't have to worry about ice dams.
By circulating cool outside air in the attic space, the roof temperature remains below freezing, so it can't melt the snow on the roof.
A cold attic means you won't have to worry about ice dams, and a warm attic almost always leads to destructive dams.
The minimum ventilation area should be about one sq. ft. of vent per 300 sq. ft. of ceiling area when half the vent area is low on the roof, and half is high.
Figuring all of this out can be a bit complex.
You'll have to examine your existing vents to find the area of each, which is stamped on them.
A general rule of thumb is to put an 8-in. x 16-in. vent in the underside of the soffit in every other rafter space.
If you need to rebuild the soffit ventilation, install a continuous 2-1/2-in.-wide "strip" vent because it will look better.
You should also install a continuous ridge vent along the peak.
If the ridge on your roof is much shorter than the roof edge, add the standard square-shaped roof vents near the peak.
Make sure you add enough so their ventilating area is almost equal to the size of soffit vents.
Waterproofing Underlayment
If you are building a new home or installing a new roof on your current home, ensure that waterproofing shingle underlayment is installed before your roof shingles are applied.
This underlayment is entirely resistant to water and is a critical last line of defense against leaks, preventing excess water from getting into your home.
Shingle underlayment does not prevent ice dams, but it will prevent backed-up water from entering the house, leading to wet insulation and water stains.
Trust Your Roof To The Roof Repair Experts
Many roof types get ice dams during the winter, so you're not alone.
However, you can prevent them from forming on your roof with proper insulation and attic ventilation, and you won't have to break out your ice picks or snow rakes.
When the outdoor temperature drops, give TK Roofing and Gutters a call.
TK Roofing and Gutters should be your number one choice to help with your ice dam problems in Ohio.
They offer quick and reliable services that will help with your ice dams or the issues that have come about due to the ice dams.
Their roof repair contractors can repair or replace the problem areas and help make sure that your home and your family are protected from all that Ohio's snowy winters throw at you.
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