As peaceful as it is, sitting in your living room watching the snow drift, the winter wonderland can bring a hazard to your roof. It is never a good idea to wait until the spring to address issues snow and ice may have caused. Listed below are __ ways that snow can cause roof damage, along with a few methods to prevent it
Ice Dam Formation
Problem: When you heat your home in the wintertime, you also melt the snow on your roof. The heat carried through the shingles turns the snow into liquid. The water then trails down your roof to where the temperatures are cold. Once it reaches the edge, it refreezes, turning into ice. The ice then grows thick enough to damage your gutters, work its way under your shingles and leak into your home.
Prevention: If your attic is warm, it will heat up the center of your roof, melting the snow towards the eaves. You can prevent these ice dams by simply ventilating or insulating your attic! You can also attach a heated cable to the edge of your roof to prevent the melted snow from refreezing. The icicles can also be controlled by ensuring your gutters are clean in the fall season. You can manually remove the ice dams using a rake or a long tool. Be sure to always check your roof for ice dam build-up.