Is Your Roof Winter-Proofed?
The snow is coming. Will your home be protected?
In the winter, the temperature inside and outside of your home will differ greatly. With the proper protection in place, this shouldn’t impact your roof. But, if your roof isn’t winter-ready, you may be dealing with the complications of ice damming.
In this article, we will answer the pressing question: What is ice damming? We will also discuss the problems associated with ice damming and how you can prevent these costly concerns this winter. Let’s get to it.
What is Ice Damming?
When snow settles on your roof, it should melt according to the outdoor temperature and environment. However, when the heat inside your home makes its way into the attic space and warms your roof, the snow may melt prematurely.
The melted snow (now water) flows down your roof, to the lower portions. Typically, these lower areas are colder. This can cause the water to refreeze and remain on your roof. As time goes on, this refreezing water builds an ice dam.
Ice damming is problematic for a number of reasons, and we’ll discuss those next.
The Hazards of Ice Damming on Your Roof
As ice dams form, they can lead to many complications. As the snow continues to melt, the dams block water flow off of your roof. This means that melting snow remains on your roof and can begin to damage your roofing materials.
Here are some of the most serious problems with ice damming:
- Structural Damages: Because the dam blocks water from flowing off of your roof, the water pools. While your roofing materials are meant to withstand water as it moves off of your roof, they do not hold up well to standing water. The water can leak through your roofing materials and cause them to rot and break down. You may also deal with water leaking through your walls, soffits, and other structural components of your home. Ice dams can not only cause damage to your roof, but they can also disrupt your entire home.
- Leaking: As the water seeps through your roofing materials, it will leak into your home. This can damage anything in your attic space, including the insulation. In addition, the leak can progress through your ceilings, walls, and more. You will be facing many complications when your roof begins to leak.
- Mold Growth: With the water pooling in your roofing materials and leaking into your home, you can be looking at mold growth inside and outside of your house. When the warm temperatures move through your attic space and the water seeps in from the roof, this creates the perfect environment for mold. Unfortunately, mold can cause a variety of problems. As it grows, it can lead to the rotting and disrepair of many components of your home, from the roof structure to the insulation. In addition, mold will ruin your belongings, furniture, valuables, and anything else in the area. It’s also a huge health concern.
- Health Hazards: As mold grows inside of your roof and throughout your home, it leads to serious health hazards. Mold can cause breathing trouble, allergic response, itching, and more. Unfortunately, unless you repair the roofing problem, you will be struggling to control the mold growth and every associated complication.
Ice damming causes more than just ice buildup and water pooling on your roof. It leads to structural problems, mold growth, water damage, and health concerns. So, what can you do to prevent ice damming? Keep reading to find out.
3 Tips to Prepare Your Roof for the Winter
To prevent ice dam formation and protect your roof and home, it’s imperative that you prepare your roof for the upcoming snow. Let’s get into the best ways to winterize your roof.
1. Clean Your Gutters After the Fall
One of the most important ways to keep your roof safe is to ensure your gutters are clean before the winter moves in. During the autumn, the leaves fall from the trees and onto your roof. These leaves will clog your gutters and prevent adequate water flow off of your roof. In addition, animals are searching for nesting grounds for the season and may turn to your gutters to make a home. This can also disrupt drainage.
To allow for proper roof drainage, you need to keep your gutters clean. This allows the water to flow off of your roof and away from your home. Clean gutters can help prevent ice damming through the winter months.
2. Install Effective Attic Insulation
Because ice dams form due to uneven temperatures across your roof, one of the most effective preventative measures is to install proper attic insulation in your home. This keeps the warm temperatures inside of your home, and the cold temperatures outside of your home. By creating this barrier, you can keep the snow from melting too early and leading to ice damming.
There are many types of attic insulation, and each is effective in preventing ice dam formation throughout the winter. Installing attic insulation allows for a uniform temperature across your roof, preventing the warm and cold pockets that make ice dams develop.
3. Have a Roof Inspection Before the Snow Comes
Another great way to protect your roof and home through the cold months is with a routine roof inspection in the fall. This allows your local roof inspectors to pinpoint any issues that can lead to poor drainage, leaks, ice damming, and other complications.
Before the cold fronts move this way, it’s important that you make sure your roof is in prime condition. After a thorough roof inspection, you can have any holes repaired, insulation or ventilations issues fixed, and any other concerns addressed. This ensures your roof will be ready for the winter.
Roofing care doesn’t have to be complicated. The most important considerations are proper ventilation, insulation, and high-quality roofing materials. Then, you just have to make sure your gutters stay clean and your roof stays in good condition to protect your home. Before the snow starts, call in your trusted local roofers for a comprehensive roofing inspection to make sure your home is ready.
So, Will Your Roof Be Ready? Let’s Review.
In summary, what is ice damming? Ice damming occurs when your roof is warmer in the upper areas and colder in the lower. This causes snow to melt, travel down your roof, and refreeze. Here, ice dams develop and prevent additional water from draining from your roof.
And, what’s the hazard associated with ice dams? They lead to water pooling, structural damage, leaking, mold growth, and health concerns.Â
To prevent these serious and costly concerns, you need to ensure you have adequate attic insulation and roof drainage. For the highest level of protection, you can contact a roofing company for an annual roof inspection to ensure you’ll be safe through the winter.
That’s it! It’s not difficult, but it is important. So, is your roof ready?
Discount Roof is Here to Protect Your Roof This Winter
Do you need help keeping your roof and home healthy as the snow approaches? We know that Indiana weather can be unpredictable, so let’s start now in preparing your roof. Call our local roofers today to book an honest roofing inspection, install your attic insulation, clean your gutters, and get your roof winter-ready.