The weather these past few Minnesota winters have lent themselves nicely to creating ice dams on homes and commercial buildings alike. All the melting, freezing, melting, re-freezing can really do a number on your roof’s shingles if your house’s insulation is poor.
So How Do Ice Dams Form Anyway?
When there’s a layer of snow sitting on your roof an ice dam is formed when the attic warms up enough to melt the first layer of snow on your roof.
Drip by drip, the water will trickle down between the layer of snow and shingles until it hits the end of your roof. The edge of your roof stays cold because it extends beyond the attic—thus isn’t being warmed from underneath. There you have the gradual forming of nice mound of ice we call an ice dam.
How Can I Avoid Ice Dams On My Roof?
There are ways we can help your roof if you do get ice dams this winter. But the very best way to avoid ice dams is to address the underlying problem head on.
The underlying problem of ice dams is the warm roof. So the first step is to figure out what’s making your roof get warm? Is it because of poor insulation? Or spots of warm air leaks? Maybe poor venting of the space under the roof? The best way to know is to have a professional roofer come out and take a look.
Most commonly we see ice dams forming on roofs because of poor attic insulation. In our experience, we recommend the spray foam method for insulating your attic. It’s quick, cost effective, and extremely thorough.
Curious to know more? Give us a call or fill out the form on our website to receive a FREE estimate.