We think of ice on the ground during the winter months, but you need to also be-aware of the ice that is forming up above. The icicles hanging from your eaves and gutters that may look pretty is one of your home’s worst enemies. Those ice formations are called ice dams.
How do ice-dams happen?
When your heating the rooms of your house and if you don’t have proper insulation in the floor then that warm air is going to rise into the attic. The heat is now heating the underside of the roof. When you have a lot of snow on the roof, that snow acts as an insulation blanket. The warm air in the attic is heating the lower layer of that snow melting it and turning it into water. This water will run down the roof shingles and when it reaches the cold overhang the water than will freeze and form a dam. Now this process will continually happen and thus the ice dam gets bigger. The water gets higher when it hits the top of the underlying shingle, water can then enter the house.
To determine if you have an ice dam check for water stains or moisture in your attic or along the ceiling of exterior walls of your house. Water stains or moisture maybe an indication that an ice dam has formed, and water has penetrated inside the roof. It is important to remove the ice dam as soon as it is found to prevent damage to your home. This can be done by using heated cables, a roof shovel or calcium chloride ice-melter.
If winter weather causes damage to your property, Orion Construction can help you restore your property. Call us at 330-244-9708.
