Is Your Roof at Risk for Ice Dams this Winter?

Winter is almost upon us, and in some parts of the country, it already feels like it is here! This makes it a good time to talk about ice dams.

Ice dams are ridges of ice that form along the edge of your roof preventing melting snow from properly draining. When the sun shines onto your roof or heat escapes from the inside of your home through the roof and begins melting the snow trapped behind the dam, the water that is backed up behind the ice dam can leak inside your home. This can cause a wide variety of damage in your home including mold, mildew, poor air quality, and structural damage caused by rotting wood.

If your live in an area where snow is a common occurrence, your home is at risk of ice dams. The good news is that there are things you can do that will reduce your risks and help prevent the financial damage, not to mention labor intensive damage, caused by ice dams.

Preventing Ice Dams
When it comes to ice dams, prevention is always the best cure. If you prevent them from happening to begin with, you’ll never need to worry about the destruction they can bring into your home.

Insulate Your Attic
Of course, the other side of that coin is that you need to make sure there is proper insulation between your home and attic to prevent this solution from simply pulling warm air out of your home and into the attic – promoting the formation of ice dams.

Install Attic Fans
Attic fans are essential tools for creating well-ventilated attics. Since adequate ventilation is one of the keys for preventing heat from building up in your attic (aiding the creation of ice dams), they are an outstanding solution for most homeowners. The added benefit of attic fans is that they create affordable solutions that can help you maintain the structural integrity of your home.

Vent Your Attic
When you have adequate attic ventilation it will draw in cooler air from the outside while releasing the warmer air through the vents. The process serves to cool the attic and the roof in the process.

Act early to prepare your home for winter and prevent ice dams from becoming a problem in your home. If you live in a cooler weather climate where ice and snow are common occurrences, you can’t afford to overlook the importance of prevention, first; and fast action to repair and correct ice dams, second. Keep ice dams away for a happier, healthier home this winter and in the future.