Ice Dam Repair

Winter may be the most wonderful time of the year, but not for your roof. Utah is home to the best snow on Earth – snow that averages 54 inches a year. This results in many problems for homeowners as all that buildup of snow on your roof can lead to ice dams.

Ice dams are solid masses of ice that form on the edge of your roof. They usually form after snowstorms, when the snow has melted on your roof and then refroze, with nowhere for the snowmelt to drain to. Ice dams can weigh hundreds of pounds, meaning that they can inflict serious damage to your roof and property as a whole. If you have ice dams, it’s important to have them removed as soon as possible. If you don’t, you may find yourself in need of ice dam repair.

The Dangers Of Ice Dams

It can be tempting to leave ice dams as they are. All those icicles certainly give your home that cozy, winter aesthetic. However, leaving ice dams alone can result in serious problems. It’s important that you work to prevent them, and in the event that they form, you have professionals come out to remove them and repair any damages they’re wrought on your home, such as:

Property Damage

The most significant damage ice dams can cause is to your roofing system. As snowmelt seeps underneath the shingles of your roof and then hardens, this pulls your shingles up and away from your roof, which in turn gives the ice, snow, and snowmelt easier access to the interior of your home. The sheer weight of ice dams alone can be enough to damage your roof.

Increasing weight on your gutters from ice dam formation results in gutter tearing away from your home, bending them. This can lead to the need to gutter replacement, be it in sections or your entire roof.

Ice dams also damage the interior of your home. With that snowmelt leaking in through your roof, you’ll find yourself with higher energy bills, poor insulation, and water stained ceilings, that will only get worse the longer that the ice dams are left alone. Your paint can peel, and the very structure of your home can be water-damaged.

Mold Growth

Water damage isn’t the only thing you have to worry about with snowmelt leaking into the interior of your home. Over time, this wetness can lead to mold growth. Oftentimes, the mold grows where you can’t see it, which means that you may not even know that you have a mold problem until it’s become a massive problem. Mold doesn’t just damage the surfaces it grows on, but can also result in health issues, such as allergy-like symptoms.

Risk Of Injury

Damages to your property, both exterior and interior, aren’t the only things you have to worry about with ice dams. Ice dams also come with the risk of injury, due to the fact that icicles can break off and fall on people. They could also have big chunks of ice or snow fall down too, which simply isn’t safe.

Ice Dam Removal

If you notice ice dams forming on your roof, it’s important to take the necessary steps to remove them before they can present a bigger issue. While you can try to clear the snow away before it gets the chance to build up with rake or try to melt it away with something like calcium chloride, it’s easiest to leave ice dam removal to the professionals. Professionals can remove ice dams much faster and more effectively, since they have the training, experience, and equipment to do so.

Preventing Ice Dams

The best course of action to take in regards to ice dams is to try to prevent them entirely. This can be done through insulating your attic, through sealing airflow leaks, through preventing snow buildup by clearing your roof after every snow storm. You can also ensure that your gutters remain clean of fallen leaves and debris which can clog them up and lead to the formation of ice dams. 

Heat Tape Installation

Another action you can take to prevent ice dams is to have a professional come out and install heat tape along your gutters. Strategically installed heat tape will help to prevent ice dams through melting a channel through any ice buildup. Heat tape looks similar to extension cords, but their purpose is to emit heat. They’re typically installed in a zig-zag pattern along the edges of your roof. In some cases, the heat tape is put in the gutters and downspouts themselves, typically at extreme elevations. Heat tape staves off ice dams through not allowing the ice to build up, but rather melting it off of your roof.

You don’t want to go with just any heat tape, however. While you can get heat tape at a hardware store, it won’t last as long as professional-grade heat tape that expert roofing contractors can install for you. When it comes to taking care of your property, you want quality, always.

Contact the experts at Kanga Roof today in order to schedule your ice dam repair or your heat tape installation service! We’ll hop to it.