Preventing Ice-Dams On Roofs

Homeowners living in cold weather areas experience the ice dam issue a lot. One must take preventive measure to protect the house from ice-dams formation.

The main reason of formation of ice dams is the clogging of the roof gutters with ice and debris. When the rain water comes down the roof, or the snow melts, the water flows towards the gutters and the ice inside the gutter and the roof shingles trap that water in between. This water moves back and gets underneath the shingles. And once it is underneath the shingles, it stays and freezes there. And if this water remains underneath the shingles, it’ll ultimately cause damage to the roof deck and will cause the wood to rot soon. Getting this kind of water damage, which is due to the ice dams, is an expensive one.

The easy way to get out of this situation without spending much is to prevent these ice-dams from forming by taking some measure during the installation of the new roof or when you are getting the roof fixed.

INSTALLING QUALITY BARRIERS

Always get good quality water and ice barriers installed whenever you get a new roof. Normally the water and ice barriers are comparatively expensive to the tar paper underlayment. So, whenever you are going to decide which one to get installed, always check the costs and benefits of the both and select the one according to your budget. It is always advised to use the barriers, so the water can flow from the roof easily and no water stays and causes the ice dams.

SIZE OF THE GUTTERS

The size of the gutters and downspouts should be large enough the deal with the water that runs off from the roof. Roofing contractors Dearborn heights Michigan can calculate the gutter capacity according to the size of the roof. Normally, large roofs require large gutters as the water flow is greater then the smaller roofs. Some homeowners opt to go for custom gutters, which are a bit expensive then the ones normally available in the market, but these custom gutters may pay you back in form of their durability and longevity. No matter which gutters you use, always make sure that the water flows off smoothly through the downspouts and away from house foundation.

PREVENTING ICE-DAMS

Ice dams can be prevented by taking measures given below:

Make sure that you clean the gutter and downspouts or regular basis. Get the maintained periodically. Always ensure the free flow of water away from your roof. If the downspout gets clogged with frozen water, it may be too late to act therefore, getting the gutter guards installed is always a handy choice which saves you money and time by preventing clogging.

Get extra insulation installed in attic space so the warm air doesn’t escape into attic and warm the roof. One can easily prevent the ice-dams damage by just cleaning the gutters regularly. If you find it difficult to do it yourself, then contact a roofing to assist you doing it.