SB Roofing Blog

Ice dams are simply ridges of ice that form at the edge of a home's roof and prevent the melting snow and/or water from draining off the roof. This water, if left undrained, can cause leaks in your home's roof, ceilings, walls, insulation and other problems.

So how are ice dams formed? A number of things can cause ice dams such as loss of heat from your home, snow cover on your roof, and the outside temperatures. In order for ice dams to form, there typically must be snow cover on the roof of your home. At the same time, the higher areas of your roof's outside surface are normally above freezing, while the lower surfaces are below freezing. This typically happens when the temperature outside is lower than freezing or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperatures at the higher levels of your roof reach above freezing, they begin to melt. As the water from this melting snow runs down the roof and reaches the lower portions of your roof it re-freezes. This causes an ice dam. The dam will grow as more water runs down the roof from the melting snow but will typically limit itself to those areas of the roof that remain below the freezing point.

If you currently have ice dams, they can be removed before any damage is done. You must first remove the snow from the roof. Taking a water hose and applying warm water on a day in which temperatures are above freezing will create the channels and allow the melted water to flow off your roof, preventing a further ice build up and keeping your interior safe from water damage. Should you be experiencing any ice dams be sure to contact us today and we'll be happy to come inspect your roof and diagnose the problem.