You look outside your window to a still, winter morning. Aren’t those icicles growing from your roof beautiful? You might think they’re festive! But they could signal a big problem, one that could cost you thousands if not taken care of: ice dams.
An ice dam is a pocket of water on your roof that sits between snow and ice. It signals a problem with a draft or the insulation in your home. Unchecked, it can cause the water to leak through your roof over time, creating mold and mildew that’s costly and time-consuming to get rid of.
How do ice dams happen?
Ice dams are caused by interior heat rising through your ceiling and heating up your roof. When it heats up the roof, it melts the snow. Thanks to the cold temperatures, the snow doesn’t stay melted for long. As it runs down the roof, it turns to ice, causing a blockage that prevents the melting water from running down your gutters.
Instead, the water accumulates. This can cause leaks into your home and major problems down the line. The water that leaks in your walls and ceiling can warp them. This causes a ton of property damage that can be costly to repair. It can also cause mold and mildew. Not only are mold and mildew also expensive to get rid of; they’re a major health hazard.
What to do
It’s usually obvious if you have an ice dam. You can see a big chunk of ice on your roof, causing giant icicles to drip down from it. You may have even heard of a few DIY tricks to get rid of the ice dams. Proceed with caution. A lot of these can do more harm than good. Nearly all of them only get rid of the problem temporarily.
If you want a permanent solution to get rid of ice dams, give us a call at 800-833-9831 or visit our website to explore the different types of roofing services we provide.