Ice Snow
That “dam” Ice on Your Roof
As the snow piles up all around us and inch upon inch accumulates on our roof surfaces, folks typically pay no attention to the snow build up on their roof. But, that ease of mind will soon turn into panic as some homeowners will discover their ceilings and exterior walls have suddenly become a waterfall.
If you or know someone that has endured this problem, I’ll give you the causes and some valuable tips to hopefully alleviate this damaging issue.
On-going water penetration into any structure is not a desirable condition, it can be damaging to not only the building, but over time mold can develop which can create health concerns.
Why is water penetrating the interior of my house in the dead of Winter?
Let’s focus on your roof and how the ice is formed.
The water you see dripping (or raining for some of you) from the ceiling and exterior walls of a home is the result of ice dams that form on the outer edge (gutter line) of a roof. Ice dams are formed by melting snow at the warmer section of the roof (towards the top of the roof), the water migrates down to the colder section of the gutter area, which then refreezes.
During this process, the ice build up at the gutter line keeps getting larger and backups (dams) and lifts the shingles. Once the “ice dam” reaches the upper sections of the roof that are warmer (2-3′ up from the gutter), it will start to re-melt, and because of the lower still frozen “ice dam”, the melted water has no place to go but to enter the house where the shingles have lifted and exposed the wood sheathing; which then seeps into and eventually damages your insulation and drywall/plaster.
When a new roof is installed, it is required to install an ice and water shield membrane at the roof edge, typically 3′ up from the gutter. This sticky rubber like covering is placed directly on the wood sheathing and then the shingles are installed over the membrane. This membrane is a second line of defense, so if an ice dam lifts the shingles, the water will not be able to penetrate the wood sheathing.
If you remember, the ice dams were actually born at the top of the warmer section of the roof, with the snow melting here, the water seeps down to the gutter and refreezes, etc. So, how do we prevent the snow from melting?
Ventilation!
During the colder months of the year, you want to maintain a roof surface as cold as the outside temperature, keeping the wood sheathing as cold as the shingles. With that in mind, you need to have cold air circulate from the overhang of your roof (soffit vents) up to the highest point, usually the ridge (ridge vent). You also need to prevent the warm air from your living space escaping to your attic. That can be accomplished by sealing all ceiling penetrations (pipes, ductwork, wires, etc.) with expandable foam and applying a sufficient amount of insulation on the attic floor.
NOTE: Make sure to not install insulation at the overhang, you will prevent the cold air from penetrating through the soffit vents and into the attic.
If you are experiencing ice dams currently, you will more than likely have to wait until Spring to have your roof system corrected, but you can get ahead of the game if you take control of your attic’s insulating needs right now.
How to remove ice dams?
Even though we will provide you some useful tips on how to remove ice dams, we recommend that you hire a professional roofing contractor to remove the ice/snow, you may cause harm to the roof and yourself.
1. Always wear protective gloves, eyewear and boots. Use a stable extension ladder if needed, and make sure the ladder is properly secure to the ground and tied-off at the gutter.
2. Never use picks, axes or any sharp object to break away the ice, again, you will do more damage than good.
3. First, use a snow rake and pull the snow off of the roof, be careful to not pull the snow on you or damage the shingles, snow rakes can be purchased at most home centers or hardware stores. Then pour ice melting pellets into nylon stockings (your wife’s panty hose, make sure she’s not in them), tie the ends off, where the filled stocking looks like a sausage; then lay the filled stockings on top of the gutter. Make sure to place additional stockings vertically, so that they point to the ridge and gutter; it will create a path for the water to drain into the gutter.
4. In the spring, you may want to consider installing heater cables that are applied directly a couple feet up the roof from the overhang, in a zigzag pattern, and inside the gutter and downspout. Make sure the heater cables are plugged into a dedicated circuit (outlet), consult with a licensed electrician.
I hope this information will help you in your battle with ice dams this season.
About the Author
Jack Dever is owner of Dever Design & Build LLC. He is also the producer and host of The Home Solutions Show, a home improvement variety talk show. For additional information or to contact Jack directly, please go to www.jackdeveronline.com.
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