How To Prevent Ice Dams From Damaging the Roof of Your Building

5/12/2022 (Permalink)

The cold weather in Maple Grove, MN, can create conditions for an ice dam to form on the edge of your roof. Knowing how to prevent them can help you to avoid issues such as roof damage and flooding.

What Are Ice Dams?

It may include large hanging icicles and chunks of ice. They can form on lower areas of the roof because they do not receive as much heat from the building as higher areas and therefore do not get hot enough to melt. As warm air from the building rises to higher areas of the roof, the snow and ice there may begin to thaw, resulting in meltwater that can become stuck behind the blockage.

Why Can They Be a Problem?

A wall of ice can prevent melting snow and ice from being able to properly drain from the roof. This can lead to damage in the insulation, walls or roof of your building, potentially causing leaks and messy water damage.

How Can You Prevent Them?

By preventing the higher areas of your roof from heating up enough to melt, you can keep ice buildup from becoming a problem. This can be accomplished by taking several steps to keep heat from the building from reaching the roof.

These steps can include:

• Closing areas where air can leak upwards
• Adding insulation
• Installing roof or soffit vents

You may need to use a combination of these measures to ensure that dams do not form. Insulation can be especially important, and if your building has less than 8 inches you should add more. Heat cord or tape can also be added to melt off forming ice from the edge of your building’s roof.

Snow and ice can be unavoidable during winter, but you can prevent them from becoming a big problem. Avoid the hard-to-deal-with damage that can result from an ice dam by taking some time to stop it from forming.