Ice Dams On Roof Eaves

Snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves.

Ice dams on roof eaves.

Heat collects in the attic and warms the roof except at the eaves. Now that you know how ice dams form here s a quick and easy way to prevent them. Severe ice dams can weigh many hundreds of pounds compromising the structure of the roof eaves. How to prevent ice dams use heated cables.

When an ice dam gets big enough melted water backs up behind it and seeps underneath. What damage do ice dams cause. Ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam. If ignored ice dams can cause serious damage to your roof.

Attached with clips along the roof s edge in a zigzag pattern heated. Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house. Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house. Ice dams are continuous chunks of ice that form along the margins of your roof.

More critically ice dams can cause meltwater to back up under the shingles where it can flow down and ruin ceiling and wall surfaces. Birth of an ice dam. But winter is coming and along with it one of your home s worst enemies ice dams. The flatter the pitch of the roof the easier it is for an ice dam to get a grip.

The icicles hanging from your eaves and gutters last year may be a faint memory now. While frozen they re no more trouble than the icicles that hang down. Ice dams form when warm air from inside your home melts snow on the roof. Finally ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam.

If snow and ice build up high enough in the gutter it can provide a foundation for an ice dam. 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.