Colder weather is here, and winter is just around the corner. Winter can bring with it a multitude of conditions that can create problems for your roof; one if the most common being ice dams. While you may not have heard the term ‘ice dams’ before, you have most definitely seen them. Ice dams are continuous chunks of ice that form along the margins of your roof. While frozen, they cause no more trouble than the icicles that hang down below them. But during the warmer parts of a winter day, water melting off the roof pools behind the ice and then seeps back up under the shingles, slowly causing damage. So, what do you do about them? That’s where we come in.
At JTR Roofing, we are the trusted residential roofing contractor for the Hudson area and are here to tell you more about them and how to prevent them and their damaging effects.
How do you know if you have issues with ice dams? Once they have infiltrated your shingles they will eventually drip through the roof into the soffits, walls, and worst of all, onto your ceilings. You’ll first notice ice dam rust spots on drywall fasteners, then perhaps peeling paint, sagging drywall and stains around windows and doors.
When should you start fighting ice dams? The fight starts now! Ice dams form when your roof warms to above 32 degrees F, warm enough to melt the snow, while the roof edge remains below freezing. This is often the result of a warm attic. So, the key to preventing ice dams is keeping your attic and roof cold.
How do you spot warm spots? After a snowfall, a cold roof will have a thick blanket of snow. A warmer roof, however, will soon have clear spots where the snow has melted off, and may well have icicles hanging.
What can you do to prevent ice dams? There are a variety of ways to prevent ice dams; from upgrading your attic insulation to raking the snow off of your roof and proper roof and soffit ventilation. And if you have leakage from an ice dam and can’t rake the snow off the roof, the best way to get rid of the ice dam is to hire a residential roofing contractor to steam it off.
Are you having issues with ice dams? Notice damage from ice dams this winter? Don’t hesitate to contact the expert residential roofing contractor for Hudson and the surrounding areas; JTR Roofing. We are here to help! Call us at 612-419-6906 or Contact Us.
