Your roof needs protecting from the harsh winter weather, which will bring even colder temperatures, snow, ice, and wind to the area. Ice dams are an enemy of your roof, so take the proper steps to prevent them from happening in the first place. Ice dams are large blockages of ice that form on the roofline, hampering the efforts of melting ice and snow from flowing off your roof properly.
Spurred on by variations in roof temperature, ice dams form when your indoor heating rises up into the attic and then warms the roof’s surface. As the snow melts on the top of your roof, it then slides down to the bottom where it refreezes. In other words, snow from the rooftop melts and trickles down until it reaches the part of your roof that is less than 32 degrees. Ice dams are basically a refreezing of water.
Here’s how to keep them from forming.
Heat Cables
Installing heat cables is one way to keep ice dams from setting up shop this winter. Installed along the edge of the roof, heat cables are basically high-resistance wires that your roofer can mount on the roof’s edge, typically in a zigzag pattern. They must be plugged into outdoor GFCI outlets for safety.
Seal Attic Gaps
Did you know that one-third of the heat loss in your home is lost through the ceiling, where it makes it up into the attic? For that reason, you should locate and seal all air leaks that may form due to drywall gaps, unblocked walls, and cracks around plumbing pipes, light fixtures, chimneys, access hatches, and other ceiling penetrations.
Attic Insulation
Ideally, you should do this before winter hits. But it’s a good idea to inspect the depth of the insulation that’s currently in your attic. If it’s lacking in depth or quality, you can upgrade to insulation featuring an R-value of 40. One rule of thumb is if you have fewer than 8 inches or so of insulation, you should add more till you hit 12 to 14 inches. This is what modern building codes require. Blown-in cellulose and fiberglass are generally preferable over hand-placed batts because they fill in gaps better around any kind of obstruction (think: rafters and joists), preventing energy from leaking through.
Roof and Soffit Vents
Your attic vents are designed to pull in cold outdoor air while pushing out warmer attic air. This action cools both the attic and roof. One square foot of vent/300 square feet of ceiling area: this is what the minimum ventilation area should be. Your trusted roofer can inspect the area and determine whether you have adequate attic vents. If it’s found that you should have more, you can add more vents or even larger ones to prevent your attic and roof from getting too warm.
Hopefully these measures work. But if you’ve already noticed your roof has an ice dam, you may be tempted to chip away at it yourself. However, this is never recommended due to the safety reasons involved. Hire a roofer to slowly steam and melt it.
Contact Allstar Construction for Roofing Services and Snow Removal
Our team can help you avoid ice dams this winter season through proactive and reactive measures. Get your free online quote today!
