Protect Your House from Ice Damming

The ice damming time of year is now here. We have had a nice fall and winter is really right around the corner. Ice dams cause a lot of problems for people. I have wrote other articles on ice dams and want to remind people again to look at ice damming now, not after the house has been severely damaged. The temperatures are dropping and the snow is coming, for some they have got a snow fall or two already. Let's now take a look at what can cause a ice dam on your house.

We can start by saying a cooling and heating creates a thaw and freeze of water and ice on your roof. Once this happens the ice begins to build in the gutter and work its way up your roof and gets under the shingles and begins to melt again. When it melts again it can now turn to water and then get into your insulation and walls of your house. Once inside these cavities it really becomes trapped and begins to erode your drywall or plaster. When trapped inside the wall it can start to cause mold to grow also. Many times people do not really know what is happening until their walls become discolored. The wall will appear gray or damp on the surface. Some change color very slowing from years of heating and cooling of the area. I have seen even seen what looks like a dark shadow on the ceiling in very minor cases. Severe case are self evident.

The roof rake is the most popular tool that people make a made rush for when snow is heavy on the roof. It can help to slow or eliminate ice damming by getting the snow off the roof. The problem is by this time the gutters are already full of snow and possible ice. Lets be real about this, your not going out in a blizzard to rake off your roof. Once there is alot of snow on a roof it can cause stress by the amount of weight it carries. So, it is a good idea to get the weight off the roof when you can. This only really occurs with high volumes of snow falls. Remember safety first when dealing with roofs and tools.

As I stated about cooling and heating of snow causes a thaw and freeze. This is a two part problem. People need to look and at the level of insulation and ventilation in their attic areas. The heat escaping out of the home into the attic hits the roof boards and starts heating the roof from underneath. Depending on how much snow is on the roof the snow closest to the roof begins to melt. It then runs to the gutters. When it starts running to the gutter it is starting to cool. When it cools to fast it begins to build ice. The gutter can turn into a large ice tray. This is another reason why it is so important that nothing stop water from getting out of your gutters. Plugged gutters are a critical part of ice damming.

Now, we have covered to the two parts of a ice dam. The first part many times plugged gutters. Gutters without gutter protection can ice up very easily. The debris inside a gutter without protection can freeze and then build ice in it very quickly. When gutter protection such as gutter inserts are used this stops the debris from getting into the gutters. I am a expert in gutter protection and it is proven that plugged gutters can lead to ice dams. Gutter protection is a critical factor when it comes to stopping ice dams. As I stated above ice dams can be made up of two parts. The second part is the insulation and ventilation of the attic area. Proper insulation levels to hold the heat in the home are needed. Attic venting is part of the insulation factor as the venting keeps a even temp. within the attic area. When there is not enough vents the air can not flow through. A good roofing expert can help with figuring out what is the correct venting for your home.

The above should get a home owner started in the right direction to help prevent ice dams on their home. Please remember safety first when doing any home projects.