Roof Ice Dams and How You Avoid Them on Your Troy Michigan Roof

Summer may be in full force right now but it will turn colder soon. Before it does, making sure your roof is in great shape is important. One problem that occurs during the colder months is known as something called a roof ice dam. Roof ice dams are quite common in the Michigan area but they can be avoided if you take the proper precautions. It’s best to talk with a roofing contractor in Troy Michigan and have them inspect your roof for best protection against roof ice dams. We’ll take a closer look at what these are and how you can protect your roof.

Roof Ice Dams and How You Avoid Them on Your Troy Michigan Roof

Protecting your roof is important and the best way to do that is by getting regular maintenance on the roof. Keeping trees trimmed and gutters clear and flowing can help your roof last a long time. By not taking a few precautions with your roof you may cause problems on the roof later. One of those problems can be a roof ice dam.

During the winter, you may notice icicles on your home’s roof edge and gutters. But ice anywhere near your roof can mean bigger problems than just the unwanted ornaments. Ice dams are one of the biggest threats to your roof during winter, and you need to be proactive in both preventing them and treating them.

What Are Ice Dams?

Ice dams are when rain or melted snow are frozen while on your roof, attaching to your roof and staying there until the temperatures rise. They are most common around the edge of your roof, even being large enough to also connect to icicles. In fact, icicles on your roof can be an indication that there are ice dams occurring.

What Causes Them?

There are two main causes of ice dams on roofs. The first is that the gutters are blocked in some way, making water flow back onto your roof. This can be an obstruction somewhere in the system, snow piling into your open gutters, or debris on your roof blocking the moisture’s way to the gutters. The second is heat coming through your roof. This can be from an opening, typically formed by a leak, or a lack of insulation in your attic. When heat escapes your home, it heats up any snow on top of it, causing the snow to melt. If the temperatures are cold enough, the melted snow will freeze before it can get to your gutters.

Why Are They Such A Big Deal?

The prolonged moisture exposure caused by ice dams can cause lots of problems for your roof, including things like roof rot, broken shingles, mold and mildew growth, and even breaking your gutters.

When ice dams form, they aren’t just sitting on your roof. They attach themselves to the roof, which can damage the covering and allow a space for moisture to get in. This can cause a leak to form in your roof, causing a whole slew of other problems inside your attic. This includes mold, structural damage, and even shock and fire damage. When the leak is close to your roof’s edge, it can also impact your home’s siding, allowing water to get in and cause lots of problems.

How to Avoid Them?

Just like the rest of the year, one of the most important ways to prevent damage to your roof is to keep your gutters clear. Water needs to be able to flow away from your roof, so take time to scoop out snow and make sure there are no obstructions. You should also remove snow and any other debris from your roof, preventing any chance of moisture sitting on your roof longer than necessary. This can be done with a snow rake, and will eliminate the fear of snow melting or sliding, allowing it a chance to refreeze.

To truly prevent ice dams, you will also need to take the steps to check your attic’s insulation and make sure it is enough to create a thick barrier to stop heat transfer. If you need more insulation you need to add it, otherwise, you will always have issues with ice dams as the heat rises from your home into your attic and melts any bit of snow on top of it.

Be sure to call Troy Roofing Pros today if you have a roofing problem or you need to have your roof inspected. We are fully licensed and insured and offer free quotes on roofing projects in the Troy Michigan area. Call us today for more details.