Winters in Norwood come with plenty of snow and ice. This kind of weather means your roof is at risk of developing ice dams. These ice blockages can lead to leaks that damage your roof’s shingles.
What can you do to lower this risk? Using roof de-icing panels can help prevent ice from building up and forming dams. Continue reading to learn more about how these ice melt systems can benefit your roof and gutters.
Dangers of Ice Dams
Snow on your roof can melt at different speeds, depending on the warmth coming from inside your home. Areas with more warmth will see faster snowmelt. But here’s the catch: when the melted snow moves to cooler sections of the roof, it freezes again. Let’s find out how ice melt panels can help address this issue.
Snow that melts and refreezes on lower areas of your roof, such as the eaves, causes a blockage to form. This ice dam makes it impossible for water to flow off your roof to your gutter system. Instead, water seeps under your roof’s shingles. This can cause damage to the shingles and the underlying layers of your roof, such as the decking.
These leaks can cause severe water damage over time. Your roofing system and home interior can end up with wood rot, mold growth, and other problems as more and more damage occurs. Finding a way to stop ice dams from forming helps protect your roof from this damage.
How Roof De-Icing Panels Work
Also known as heated radiant edge systems, roof de-icing panels effectively stop ice dams from developing. How do they work? Roofers install these along the edge of your roof to replace the first few shingle layers.
These panels emit heat that helps prevent melted snow and water from being able to freeze, even when temperatures drop below 32 degrees. Instead, water and melted snow continue to flow off your roof into your gutters. Since they don’t have a chance to freeze, ice dams will not form on your roof and block run-off.
O’LYN uses heated radiant edge panels on the eave and valleys of your roof to prevent ice dam build-up. In some cases, wires are installed in the gutter and downspouts to ensure water can continue flowing.
Benefits of De-Icing Panels
When de-icing panels are installed on your roof, your risk of ice dams drops. No matter how much snow is on your roof, these panels ensure that it flows off your roof as it melts. This helps protect your roof shingles from water damage due to ice dams.
Heated panels are also safer and more effective than manual de-icing methods. Instead of using a snow rake or climbing up on the roof to place rock salt, these panels use electricity to automatically heat the area when needed. You can even set these de-icing panels to turn on at specific temperatures!
De-icing panels are much more aesthetically pleasing than your traditional de-icing wires because they fit seamlessly into your roof. Whereas traditional de-icing cables are installed in a zig-zig-like fashion and are prone to falling off in storms, heated panels replace the first few layers of your shingles. This makes them much more durable and pleasing to the eye.
Ice melt panels for roofs offer a quick and cost-effective way to protect your roof from ice dams. Other ways to prevent these dams from forming, such as improving roof ventilation and sealing attic leaks, can cost more and are not guaranteed to solve the problem.
Having professional roofers put de-icing panels on your roof helps ensure they’re placed in the right areas and properly installed. Roofers can determine the best placement for these panels to provide your home with the most protection from ice dams.
Ice Dam Prevention
De-icing panels aren’t the only option for lowering your risk of ice dams. You can also add insulation to your attic to prevent certain areas of your roof from heating up more than others. Other prevention options include modifying your ventilation system and ensuring your attic has no leaks that allow too much heat to reach the roof.
Remember that ice dams form when your roof surface has uneven temperatures. Areas that are warmer cause snow to melt much more quickly. Correcting this problem helps lower the risk of ice dams.
De-Icing wires are another option to consider for your gutters and downspouts. These systems are installed inside your gutters and downspouts to help prevent water from freezing inside them.
Who to Call for De-Icing Panels
A reliable local roofing company should handle de-icing panel installation. You can count on the experts at O’LYN Roofing to install these panels on your roof. Our experienced roofing team knows how to place these ice-melting panels in the best areas to stop ice dams from forming.
If you want to learn more about ice melt systems for your Norwood home, please contact O’LYN Roofing. We can help ensure that your home is safe from ice dams.
