Do you notice all those ice chunks that hang off of your roof during the winter? They may be a pretty sight at first look. However, on the warmer days during the winter, they start melting a bit and pool back under your shingles. The water can go up to 10 feet under your shingles. At some point, it is going to drip down into your roof, walls, ceilings, and other places, too. You might start noticing rust spots, drywall sagging, and stains surrounding your doors and windows. It can cost thousands and thousands of dollars to fix this kind of damage. It is best to prevent ice dams in the first place. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can prevent ice dams on your home, keep reading below for more information!
Cool Down Your Roof
One of the best ways to prevent an ice dam is to cool down your roof. As previously mentioned, when the snow starts to melt, the water runs over your roof and will refreeze around the edge of your roof. Most of the time, the melting occurs, because the attic or ceiling is warm. The heat escapes to the roof and melts the snow. This water leaks over toward other areas of your roof and freezes again. The cycle continues and eventually, you have an ice dam.
One of the ways to cool down your roof is by closing your attic bypasses. About ⅓ of homes that get ice dams have heat loss from the ceiling through the attic. Most of the time the heat loss is through drywall gaps, light fixture cracks, and walls that are unblocked. Fixing these issues can cool down your roof to prevent ice dams.
In addition, you may want to add more insulation to your attic. If your attic isn’t properly insulated, you won’t be able to keep your attic at a proper temperature. All the heat from your home is going to leak through to the roof and cause ice to melt, leading to the ice dam.
Prevent Ice Dams with Roofing Products
Sometimes just making sure your roof stays cold won’t be enough. If you get a lot of snowfall, even if you have a cold roof, you might still get an ice dam. There are specialized ice dam prevention products you can use. One of the best types of products is self-sealing underlayment. This sticks to the decking of the roof to waterproof it. The shingles are then installed on top of the underlayment.
Shovel the Snow Off Your Roof
Another tip for preventing ice dams is shoveling the snow off your roof when there is a lot of snowfall. This prevents the snow from melting onto your roof and creating an ice dam!
Contact Us Today
These are some tips on how to prevent ice dams. Take them into consideration during the winter months at your home. If you’re in need of a roof replacement this winter, our team at O’LYN Roofing is ready to assist! Reach out to our team today by calling us at (877) 289-6596 or by filling out our team’s online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your roofing needs!
