As we get closer and closer to winter and the severe weather that tends to go hand in hand with it, we need to think about the roof over our heads and how it will hold up to the cold weather. Ice dams are something that tend to come with winter weather if you don’t have safeguards in place to keep them from forming on your roof. First Choice Roofing is here to talk about why ice dams are problematic and discuss what can be done to prevent them from forming on your home.
Knowing How Ice Dams Form is Important
Before a homeowner can work to prevent ice dams on their roof, they need to have a clear understand of how they form in the first place. After it snows, the roof heats up except at the eaves of the house. The snow will start to melt, but then it will freeze again once it reaches these eaves. As the ice continues to form along the eaves, it becomes what we call and ice dam. When there are ice dams on your eaves, it can cause water to backup behind it, flow under the shingles and leak into the attic of the house.
How to Prevent Ice Dams
There are a few different things that can be done to prevent ice dams from forming on the roof of your house this winter. Here are some tips to avoid this problem:
– Ventilation: An important part of your roof is the ventilation that should be built into it. There needs to be ample ventilation there so that the ice dams don’t form. If you don’t have enough ventilation, it can not only help form ice dams, but it can also be hard on your roof. Your roof will last longer with proper ventilation.
– Insulation: You need to have plenty of insulation in your attic to keep the heat in your home where it should be. You don’t want that heat to be lost through the attic and roof of your home. Adding insulation in your attic can help keep ice from forming on your roof.
– Heating Cables: If you struggle with ice dams on your roof and the two options above haven’t fix the problem, you can have heating cables installed at your roof line to take care of the issue. They are installed on your roof’s edge as well as in the downspouts to help keep the water from turning to ice on the edge of your roof.
Roof Repair, Replacement & More in Reading, Wyomissing, Blandon, Shillington, Ephrata, Columbia, Lititz, Millersville, Mount Joy and Lancaster, PA
If you are concerned about ice dams as we move into the winter months, you can have the experts at First Choice Roofing come take a look. We will make sure you have the ventilation and insulation needed in your attic to help you avoid this damaging problem. Call us today!
