Preventing Ice Dams
Obakesan | Contributor
Debra L. Pittsfield Twp, MI
Mother Nature can be relentless on your roof during the heavy snowfalls. Snow can be tremendously heavy due to the large surface area of your roof. Sometimes snow can weigh up to 30 LB per square foot. On a 1500-square-foot house with a roof surface area of 1600 square feet, that’s 48,000 Lbs or 24 elephants on your roof! Because the weight can increase as the snow melts and refreezes to ice, called “Ice Dam”, it is very important to remove the snow and ice as soon as possible.
Ice dams occur when the heat in your attic melts the snow on your roof. The snow melts and accumulates at the roof ends or inside gutters, then refreezes. This process can reoccur causing the ice to build up towards the peak of your roof and underneath your shingles. Once the ice works its way up under your shingles, they can melt causing a waterfall in the interior of in your home. This can be prevented by following the steps below:
1. Ensure your gutters are cleaned after the leaves fall and before winter.
2. Ensure your home has adequate ventilation and insulation.
3. Remove the snow from the ends of your roof by using a roof rake. Remove the snow a minimum of 4 feet from the gutters to the peak of the roof anytime it snows over 4-6 inches. a. Roof rakes can be purchased at local hardware stores for approximately $20-$40. b. Local home improvement companies provide this service. Prices can vary from $95-$400 depending on the home. Ensure the company’s references, because picking the wrong company could damage your roof.
4. Appling Calcium Chloride over the ice will cause the ice dam to melt. This is safe for your shrubbery and grass. Sodium Chloride, (table salt) will cause damage. Safety is of the utmost important with this step because the ice could melt onto your ladder and refreeze on the rungs causing a slip hazard.
Paul is a State of Michigan Licensed Builder. Paul serves as President and founding member of HandyPro Handyman Service and nationally franchised HandyPro International. Listen to Paul every Saturday at 11:00am on “It’s Your Home, Let’s Talk About It” WAAM Talk 1600AM
Comments
Debra Yeager
Mon, Feb 22, 2010 : 8:39 p.m.
"atnaap" perhaps he ment baby elepants "for God sakes"....As the snow melts and refreezes it creates a barrier which prevents the water from running off and as it is stated, over time it creates the build up of ice (ice dam) and with each snow fall the snow that melts is prevented from running off, building up each time making it heavier that the original snow. For someone who like flashing their intelligence, its pretty elementary.
Darin
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.
Great Blog with some good points on how to prevent ice dams. Another option to consider is the easy retrofit of a Thermal Technologies roof deicing system for a homes roof eaves and valley's. It will permanently solve any ice dam issues cause by heat loss from the home, radiant heat from the sun, difficult exposure, poor architectural designs. the list goes on. There can be many challenges to trying to fix a poorly designed home and attic structure. Check them out at www.thermaltechusa.com.
Rex Roof
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 4:08 p.m.
"atnaap" hints at this question, but I'm curious about how snow and ice increase in weight from melting and re-freezing.
theodynus
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 3:57 p.m.
Also, for God's sake, 48,000lbs is only about six male Asian elephants and the heaviest single African elephant on record was reportedly 24,000 lbs. Get yer elephant weights right, man!
theodynus
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 3:46 p.m.
"Because the weight can increase as the snow melts and refreezes to ice, called Ice Dam, it is very important to remove the snow and ice as soon as possible." There are literally dozens of snarky things I could say here. Instead, I'll simply point out the following wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_mass