Ice Damm Roof

Ice dams and icicles form when the snow melts runs down your roof and refreezes near the edge.

Ice damm roof.

To take a more pro active approach in preventing ice dams you can install ice belt metal panels which are installed along the eaves to block water. Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house. An ice dam is a solid ridge of ice that forms along the edges of your roof. We say they are deadly because sheets of ice start to break loose as the weather gets a little warmer stabbing or crushing anything in its path.

This only occurs when part of your roof warms to above 32 degrees f warm enough to melt the snow while the roof edge remains below freezing. Finally ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam. Now that you know how ice dams form here s a quick and easy way to prevent them. Ice dams are those beautiful but deadly mounds of ice and icicles that you see along the edge of some roofs.

The meltwater then runs down toward the colder eave overhang where it freezes. Snow starts to melt in certain areas of the roof which are warmer than others due to heat loss from the attic. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas. As the ice accumulates it forms a blockage that prevents the snowmelt from flowing off the roof.

How to prevent ice dams use heated cables. They can also cause considerable roof leaks that lead to interior damage. Once this thick ice forms it prevents melting snow from running off the roof. Ice belt metal panels many roofs are made of shingles which work well to remove water until it starts to travel upward.

This scenario is often the result of a warm attic. Ice dams form when the snow melts on an upper warmer part of a roof. Attached with clips along the roof s edge in a zigzag pattern heated cables help prevent ice dams that lift shingles and cause leaks.