Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams.
Ice dam on roof about.
It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.
See below for a shopp.
When the snow falls onto your roof it can melt when it comes into contact with warmer surfaces of the roof.
Ice dams are those beautiful but deadly mounds of ice and icicles that you see along the edge of some roofs.
Severe ice dams can weigh many hundreds of pounds compromising the structure of the roof eaves.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow water from draining off the roof.
They occur in climates with cold winter temperatures and regular snowfall.
What causes ice dams.
This only occurs when part of your roof warms to above 32 degrees f warm enough to melt the snow while the roof edge remains below freezing.
What is an ice dam.
An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions.
Now that you know how ice dams form here s a quick and easy way to prevent them.
Finally ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam.
How to prevent ice dams use heated cables.
Moisture entering the home from ice dams can lead to the growth of mold and mildew.
An ice dam is a mass of ice that gathers along the lower edge of rooflines.
Ice dams can be frustrating.
They can also cause considerable roof leaks that lead to interior damage.
Attached with clips along the roof s edge in a zigzag pattern heated cables help prevent ice dams that lift shingles and cause leaks.
An ice dam forms when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the bottom layer of snow.
Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house.
Effects of ice dams.
Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few.
The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas.
The resulting damage from ice dams to the roof and the rest of the house can easily cost thousands of dollars especially if the snow is allowed to remain on the affected roof for a long time.
An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home.
This scenario is often the result of a warm attic.
More critically ice dams can cause meltwater to back up under the shingles where it can flow down and ruin ceiling and wall surfaces.
Ice dams and icicles form when the snow melts runs down your roof and refreezes near the edge.
Freezing at the eave impedes the drainage of meltwater which adds to the ice dam and causes backup of the meltwater which may cause water leakage into the roof and consequent damage to the building and its contents if the water leaks through the roof.
