Why You Need to Remove Ice Buildup on Your Roof
Ice buildup on your roof is completely natural after heavy snowfall. However, if you allow ice build up to sit unchecked on your roof, it can lead to ice dams. As this snow sits on your roof, the warm air in your attic can cause snow at the pitch of the roof to melt. The melted snow turns into water that runs down the roof where it freezes once it meets the colder roof edge and forms a mound of ice, which is the ice dam.
The Dangers of Ice Dams
Over time, the water held back from the ice dam will freeze, which makes the ice dam even bigger and prevents more water from properly running off. In most instances, the ice buildup on your roof will form along the eaves (lower edges), but can form on valleys, overhangs, and flat areas. The ice dam will trap other melted water — until it ultimately forces the water underneath the shingles on your roof.
Once this happens, it can render your gutter system virtually useless, leaving water to make its way into your home causing a full range of potentially dangerous problems and very expensive repairs. However, you can protect your home and family from the hazards of ice buildup on your roof by contacting the experts at Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island for professional advice. Determining the root cause of Ice Damming can be a very tedious, multi-stage and complex tas. In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at how this snow/ice condition can affect your home.
Ice Buildup Can Cause Wood Rot
If you do not properly handle the ice buildup on your roof, it can lead to extensive wood rot in your roof decking, exterior and interior wall framing, rafters, and sheathing. Once the wood rot sets in, the softer, decaying wood will be a beacon to pests and rodents and worst of all - termites!
Ice Buildup Can Cause Mold
Another common problem associated with ice dams stems from the leakage of water inside of your home. In most instances, this water will drip or run into a dark part of your home. Unfortunately, all mold and mildew needs to grow is a damp, dark place. Once mold begins to grow, it can cause an array of respiratory problems for people with allergies, asthma, etc.
Ice Buildup on Your Roof Can Damage Gutters
Did you know leaving ice dams on your roof can cause gutter damage? As the ice builds and continually accumulates, it can cause your gutters to sag, and sagging gutters open the door to a full catalog of expensive problems. Snow and ice sliding off the roof in large sections typically tears away gutters and can cause extensive damage or danger to anyone below.
Watch Out for Falling Icicles
Depending on how long you allow the ice to build up on your roof, the icicles can grow to enormous sizes. While they may be pretty, these large icicles can get very heavy and the weight of falling icicles can result in expensive siding damage and roof damage. Because the icicles can grow to gigantic sizes, they present dangerous falling object hazards. If one of the ice dam icicles were to fall off and strike someone, it can result in serious injuries or even death.
Ice Buildup Can Cause Peeling Paint and Drywall Damage
The leaking water from an ice dam on your roof will eventually make it through your interior wall cavities. This can cause your drywall deterioration and the paint to blister and peel. Unfortunately, peeling paint can occur long after the ice dam has melted, which can make it appear to be unrelated to the ice buildup on your roof.
Ice Dams Reduce the Effectiveness of Insulation
If your roof is leaking from an ice dam, the water can drip through the roof and come into contact with your insulation. Unfortunately, wet insulation doesn’t work very well and will fail to properly decompress once it dries.
Without properly working insulation, larger amounts of heat will escape from your roof to melt even more snow, which will cause even more and larger ice dams to form. This will further compound your problem, causing even more water to leak through and increasing all of the previously mentioned damage.
Warning Signs of Ice Buildup on Your Roof
How do you know you have an ice dam or ice buildup on your roof? If you answer yes to any of the following ice dam warning signs, you should contact Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island for an informative discussion.
- Do you notice ice forming on the exterior of your home? Or do you notice water dripping down the side of your home?
- Are your gutters filled with ice? Or is ice developing along the overhang of your roof?
- Do you have icicles forming along the edge of your gutters and/or roof?
- Are there icicles developing or water dripping from the soffits and underside of your roof?
- Has water already penetrated the inside of your home’s ceilings, walls, or window sills?
Contact Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island for Ice Buildup Removal
At Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island, we take ice buildup removal and ice dam removal very seriously! We have a first-hand understanding of how seemingly harmless icicles can result in thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of home repairs. However, your best defense against ice buildup on your roof is your ability to spot a problem and act quickly.
Contact Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island today for a free inspection.
