It's the most wonderful time of the year! …Where your home’s insulation and ventilation are put to the test. Fun fact--You can easily spot if your home is well-insulated just by looking at it after a snowfall. Go outside and look up, if your roof is evenly covered with snow, you have nothing to worry about. But, if you can see your shingles in some spots or your neighbor’s have snow on their roof and you don't, your roof needs some help.
What is ice damming you may ask? It happens when there is a little wall of ice built by Mother Nature that prevents the melting snow from draining off your roof and causes it to leak into your home through tiny cracks and openings. This can cause damage to the integrity of your walls and ceilings and create water stains on your ceiling.
When there is inadequate insulation in your roof and attic and decreased ventilation, your attic will get warmer than it should. The warmth causes the snow to melt and drip down your roof. When it gets below freezing, the dripping water will begin to freeze when it gets to the overhang of your roof and cause a buildup of ice. Thus, an ice dam is born on your roof.
The damage begins when snow continues to melt and gets blocked by the dam and as stated above, sneaks into your home or office.
To prevent this from happening, you should first ensure your roof and attic are well insulated and ventilated. This will prevent the damming from happening. In the meantime if your roof needs a little help, try to get as much snow off of the edge of your roof as possible. A roof rake is the tool for the job! You can find them at your local hardware store. Remember to be careful! We do NOT recommend going on an icy roof. Get one with a long enough handle so you can stay firmly planted on the ground.
We at Creative Construction are glad to fix any water damage that occurs from ice damming! But only after the roof issue is resolved. We don’t want to have to come back every spring to repair your ceiling!
