DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ICE ON YOUR ROOF?

We have experienced a lot of snow this winter in New England, especially cold temps! – And winter is not over yet! If you drive around your neighborhood, you may have noticed icicles hanging from roofs. You may have even noticed these on your own home, and perhaps you are seeing signs of water leaking into your home. Is it possible you have developed an ice dam?

WHAT IS AN ICE DAM?

Ice dams occur when precipitation, in this case snow, is in a pattern of melting and refreezing. Snow will melt as the temperature climbs, and refreezes as the temperatures dip, forcing the water and ice under shingles and the roof underlayment. This may eventually cause water to leak into your house.

WHAT CAUSES AN ICE DAM?

Inadequate insulation in your home allows heat to escape into your attic. As the heat in the attic reaches the roof, the roof warms and melts the snow on top of the roof. The continuous pattern of melting and refreezing causes a layer of ice to form on the surface of your roof, under that snow, and this not only leads to water leaking into your home, but damage to your roofing as well.

Our advice – Give us a call. Just because you see icicles or even what appears to be an ice dam, doesn’t necessarily mean you have a problem.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

It is not safe to climb on your roof ever and you should always call a licensed professional to inspect any damage. You could cause more damage to your roof by trying to remove ice or snow, so leave it alone. Do not try to fix the leak on your own – You might even have a warranty!

HOW TO PREVENT ICE DAMS:

Preventing ice dams is a matter of ventilating the roof and increasing insulation in order to prevent the upper portions of the roof from getting too warm. Insulation should not be packed tightly against the roof though, as this limits airflow and encourages condensation. Your contractor should know exactly what this means so don’t worry too much about it. But its never a bad idea to check and see what your roofing contractor plans to do!