15
Jan
It’s that time of year in Rochester, NY. Snow, ice, and cold temperatures make the weather anything but pleasant. This extreme Upstate New York winter weather is also not ideal for your home, specifically one that hasn’t been renovated in recent years. A major concern for these houses is ice damming.
Ice damming occurs when a collection of ice forms at the edge of a roof. This ice prevents melting snow from draining off the roof. Instead, the water backs up behind the ice dam. Eventually, this water can leak into your home causing major damage to your ceiling, walls, and much more. Long term, this additional moisture in your home can cause mildew, mold, and, in general, compromise air quality.
Bad insulation, poor ventilation, and several cold days below 23 degrees are the three major things that cause ice damming to occur.
Obviously, other than the cold weather, you may not be aware that your home is susceptible to ice damming. In order to find out, be sure to look out for red flags, like melting snow and icicles. These may indicate you could have an ice damming issue.
Specifically, you’ll want to check if the snow is melting unevenly or sporadically on your roof. You also will want to see if you have an overabundance of icicles. In winter weather, we all can get icicles on our home, but in comparison to say, your neighbors, do you have a ton of them?
If you think, or know, ice damming is an issue in your home, prevention is a must! Essentially, you want to prevent heat loss from your home. But how can you do that? Here are some measures you can take in order to prevent or fix your ice damming issue:
- Cover up or seal all holes that allow hot air to come through. This includes pipes, heat registers, lights, and electrical.
- Ensure that you have proper ventilation.
- Make sure that you have proper installation.
- Clean your gutters.
- Purchase and use a roof rake to get snow off your roof.
- Keep ice from forming along certain pathways by using electrical heat tape.
- Put calcium chloride up on your roof. A classic trick is to fill a women’s stocking with the ice melter.
For some of these measures, you may need to seek professional assistance in order to execute, especially in regards to ventilation and installation. A professional contractor will also be able to assist you with avoiding long term ice damming issues. This is so important to maintaining the long term integrity of your roof and home.
Living in Rochester, NY, ice damming may seem like an inevitability for every homeowner, but you don’t have to let it become a major issue. Whether you’re looking for a fast fix or long term prevention, the trained professionals at Patriot Construction can assist if you feel you have issues. Just give us a call and we are happy to help! You can visit our contact form here or give us a call at (585)-720-0990!