Don’t you just love looking at glittering and shimmering icicles hanging from the edge of your roof after it snows? The problem is that icicles are in indication of a potentially damaging problem with your roof: ice dams.
Ice dams form in gutters and along the roof’s edge when melting snow trickles down the surface of the roof, only to refreeze when it is exposed to cold air at the edge. This forms a solid block of ice that can cause any following snowmelt to back up under your shingles and enter the home.
That’s bad. Water entering a home can “travel” along rafters and walls to appear almost anyplace, damaging surfaces, causing wood to rot, and promoting the growth of mold and mildew.
There are several steps you can take to help prevent the formation of ice dams:
• Keep gutters clear of leaves and debris so water will not back up • Make sure your roof has an “ice barrier” installed under the first several rows of shingles, tiles or slates • Properly insulate your attic to keep it cooler – a temperature balance between attic and the roof help to keep snow and ice from melting and refreezing into ice dams • Add roof ventilation to keep air flowing through your attic instead of building up under the roof deck where it can melt snow and ice
Icicles are pretty, but ice dams can be a disaster. If you are worried about the damage that ice dams can cause, call DryTech Roofing at (240) 547-2447. We’ll conduct a free roof inspection and make recommendations on how you can prevent ice dams from forming this winter.