Ice dams can be dangerous to any passerby’s, but they are more-so dangerous to your home and the structure behind it. It’s important to do your research and take care of any problems you may have with them forming, as well as the ice dams themselves.
Ice dams are mostly from building airway malfunctions. This happens as a result of warm air escaping from the center of the roof and melting any snow or ice on the top of the room. The melted water then travels down the roof, catching on the existing shingles, and once it reaches the cold edge, it freezes again and forms a wall of ice.
An ice dam can be dangerous to passerby’s if it breaks off and falls. They tend to be very large if left unattended and can cause a lot of damage. An ice dam can cause water damage to your home as well, and ruin your gutters. This is caused by the ice penetrating the shingles, melting once more, and seeping into the attic space between the walls. The result of this can be damage to the structure of the attic, as well as to the insulation inside of it.
There are many things you can do to prevent ice dams. One thing you could do is to seal any attic air leaks. This keeps any heat from escaping out to the roof in the first place. Also, you can keep the temperature of the attic at below 30 degrees during a snowfall in order to help prevent this. You can do this by advancing your ventilation system throughout your attic and home and increasing the existing insulation.
They do have special ice dam prevention products available online as well. One product they have is a heat cable. You install this at the edge of your roof, so when the snow melts and gets to the ledge, it doesn’t refreeze again. They also have ice belt roof panels that help shed any snow and ice off the roof as well as prevent any leaking.
Installing metal roofing is a great way to reduce ice dams. Not only are they long-lasting, but they also are great for the winter and protection of your home. Metal roofs provide better insulation in the attic, keeping the warm air inside while the surface of the roof tends to stay cooler. They also have a special coating that sheds the snow off the roof before it accumulates too much to cause these problems. Metal roofs have a lot of pros to them, and the protection during the winter is just another plus.
With these tips, you can prevent a harmful ice dam from forming and lowering the chance of any damage to your home.
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