Can ice dams damage my roof?
Yes ice dams can damage your roof. They can cause all sorts of damage to your roof system and gutter system. So it’s best to do everything possible to prevent them from forming. By knowing what an ice dam is and what types of damage they can cause, you can be alert to spotting them before they get out of hand. Costing you money to remove and repair.
What is an ice dam?
An ice dam is a small or large icicle that forms at the lowest part of you roof. At the lowest part of your roof where your soffit is located, there’s no insulation or heat from the house.
Weather fluctuations (from below freezing to above freezing) and heat coming from your home. Causes a layer of snow to start melting, the now water runs down your roof towards the eave (lowest part of your roof) of the home. Then when the water reaches the eave where there is no heat from the home, the cold weather causes the water starts to freeze. Creating an ice dam.
That’s how ice dams are formed. Creating ice that expands and grows larger every time that layer of snow begins to melt.
How do they damage my roof?
Once the ice dam gets large enough they can start to damage your roof and gutter systems.
Since the ice dam gets larger and expands, the ice starts to get under your shingles. Lifting them up. Once the ice dam gets big enough it acts as a blockade to the running water. The ice blockade causes the water to build up eventually making it run up under the shingles and into your home.
Another thing to be weary about with ice dams is the weight. In severe cases these things can get pretty huge. The weight can cause damage to your gutters as well. Ice build up in the gutters and downspouts doesn’t allow them to work properly. Making it easy for more build up and more ice expansion.
What types of damage can I expect?
Water intrusion. That is what causes the most damage. Once the water builds up enough it gets behind the shingles and into the home.
That’s when you’ll start to see leaks eventually. Stained drywall, wet insulation and sometimes mold if the area isn’t dried out properly. The damages can pile on pretty quick once the water penetrates the house.
Also if the gutters are filled with ice, the water eventually can start to get behind the fascia boards. Getting the wood boards wet and increasing the chances of the boards becoming rotten.
It is important that you take action and mitigate the chance of ice dams.
How to prevent ice dams.
There are a few ways you can minimize the chance of ice dams building up.
One way is before winter hits, so in the fall clean out your gutters. This gets any leaves and debris out of the gutter system, allowing water to run and drain out properly.
Once the snow comes it is a good idea to clean some of it off. Weather you call a professional to do it or you do it yourself with a roof rake. It’s a good idea to clean off the snow on the lowest part of your roof. From the eave up to at least 4 ft.
These two strategies are the most cost effective. They are simple and will help minimize the chance of ice dams forming.
Ultimately ice dams are not a fun sight to see on your home. They can cause many problems if they aren’t addressed. Stained dry wall, wet insulation, damaged shingles and damaged gutters. If you see ice dams forming, get them taken care off before they hurt your home and your bank account.