Ice Cycles On Roof

Stop ice dams with a cold roof.

Ice cycles on roof. Ice dams form when warm air from inside your home melts snow on the roof. Ice dams and icicles form when the snow melts runs down your roof and refreezes near the edge. When the meltwater reaches the colder eaves the part of the roof that extends beyond the walls the water refreezes and creates a buildup of ice along the edge of your roofline says this old house. As the temperature fluctuates the snow on your roof melts sending water down to the gutters.

They re also an early warning that. Using a long handled roof rake to removing the snow from at least at lower 4 feet of roof edge can help prevent ice dams from forming. So icicles hanging from a roof s edge may be a sign of an ice dam. We are properly licensed bonded and insured and are the top rated ice dam removal company in the us.

This ice builds up creating a thick ridge of ice and backs up under shingles into the soffit and on the underside of the sheathing in a cycle of freezing and melting that stresses the shingles may tear off. This warm air heats the snow at the peak of the roof and the resulting water runs down the roof until it freezes near the frozen edges. Here s a breakdown of the conditions that lead to the formation of ice dams. An ice dam can work its way beneath the shingles of your home and loosen them.

Never get onto a roof to remove snow in the winter. Icicles aren t just minnesota décor. When using roof rake use light pressure to avoid scraping the shingles too hard. Heat tape melts snow and ice before it can form into icicles on your gutters and roof.

If you see icicles hanging from your roof you most likely have an ice dam. Next snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves. First heat collects in the attic and warms the roof except at the eaves. Finally ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam.

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. These dams can tear apart your home so limit them by keeping your roof clear of snow. Copper tubing in the heat tape uses 120 volts of electricity to deice your roof and gutters. The water refreezes inside your gutters turning the overflow into icicles.

Heat loss ice dams roof leaks insulation damage more heat loss. This is the only safe way to remove snow from a roof. An ice dam is caused by a buildup of ice in your gutters. This sets up a vicious cycle.

Call us at 1 800 ice dams if you have an ice dam on your roof and live anywhere in the lower 48 including in hard hit minnesota illinois and wisconsin. Ice dams happen when ice melts trickles down the roof then freezes again. If dams are a serious threat to your roof the problem is usually due to poor ventilation. Water often leaks down inside the wall where it wets wall insulation and causes it to sag leaving uninsulated voids at the top of the wall.