Ice Dams: A Quiet Winter Weather Threat

Winter comes with snow days, cozy nights, and holiday lights, but it also brings hidden home risks. While icy roads get most of the attention, your roof is one of the most vulnerable parts of your home. Snow, sleet, and especially ice can lead to costly damage if ignored.

Between sleet, snow, and ice, the latter is often the cause of cold spots or suspicious water stains on your ceilings. Particularly, many homeowners find that an ice dam is the culprit of their issues with heating and moisture in the home. They might look normal or even somewhat pretty on the exterior of your house, blending in with the snow and icicles hanging from your gutters. Like many things involving the roof, they can cause major issues that end up costing you significantly more than the initial problem would have.

How Does an Ice Dam Form?

Naturally, snow and ice will accumulate on your roof during any kind of cold, inclement weather. Typically, your roof will both offer as a surface for the precipitation to melt and as a slope to move it down your roof and into your gutters. Ice dams, however, form along the lower edges of your roof — right above the gutters.

Snow and ice melt at the warmer upper areas of the roof, flow down toward the eaves, and then refreeze at the colder edges. Over time, the melted and refrozen water creates the “dam,” which only catches and freezes more of the melting precipitation, compounding the problem further. Over time, trapped moisture leads to roof rot, mold growth, stained ceilings, and in severe cases, structural damage.

The core of the issue does not come from the heat from the outside, but from within the home. The heat that melts the snow and ice on your roof comes from your attic, and the formation of ice dams is due to the uneven distribution of heat on your roof. Since heat rises, a damaged or improperly ventilated roof can funnel that warm air straight to the ridges of your roof, leaving the gutters cold and prime real estate for an ice dam to form.

What Kind of Damage Can an Ice Dam Cause?

It might not be right away and catastrophic, but over a short span of time an ice dam can cause a host of problems for the every part of your roof. It all starts with water damage.

·       Shingles

·       Underlayment

·       Attic Insulation

·       Ceilings, drywall, and framing

Once water sits beneath shingles, it has a clear path into the home — often leading to stains, leaks, mold growth, and expensive interior repairs.

Shingles, although built to be durable and withstand the elements, are not completely immune from heavy amounts of water freezing and thawing quickly. Individual shingles may curl, crack, or lose granules entirely. Not only does this affect the appearance of your home, but it can affect your roof’s ability to shed water as well. This could lead to even more damage if the issue is not resolved before spring.

Even beneath the surface, water can cause further damage to the underlayment, compromising the integrity of the roof. In particularly severe cases, this water buildup can start to leak into the insulation and even the ceiling of the home. Even your gutters and downspouts might suffer; the weight of the ice can cause your gutter system to bend or even completely detach from the roof.

More persistent than the initial water damage is the possibility for mold, which is known to love warm, wet spaces. Once the water invites mold on your shingles and on into your insulation and walls, it can severely decrease the air quality in your home or make you sick. The cost of getting the mold removed from your home might make you sick as well, with how intrusive and expensive the process can be.

What Can I Do to Stop Ice Dams?

Some of the first steps you can take to help prevent the formation of ice dams on your roof start within the home. Your insulation plays a huge role in your home’s ability to regulate heat (or lack thereof), and patchy, worn, or missing insulation will allow heat to escape and begin the ice damming process. Make sure attic insulation is sufficient so heat doesn't escape into the attic. Adding insulation is one of the most affordable and effective prevention steps.

Similarly, any small holes or cracks in your attic release air just as quickly as faulty insulation. Caulk or spray foam can help with smaller problems areas in your attic outside of the insulation.

Finally, and most importantly, the most effective long-term solution is proper roof ventilation. A balanced ventilation system helps distribute heat evenly and keeps roof deck temperatures consistent — reducing ice dam formation.

Even with good insulation and ventilation, ice dams can still occur during severe storms. In that case, professional removal prevents further damage.

The best way to prepare your home for the winter weather is to have a roofing and ventilation system that can handle the season. Smaller inconveniences can quickly snowball into serious issues with just a little bit of snow, which is why an inspection and small repair now could save you an entire roof replacement down the line.

When looking for someone to help you with your roofing issues, you need someone dependable, whose experience on which you can rely. With 18 years of service in the Kansas City area, Ameristar Roofing & Restoration is here to help. If you see icicles, ceiling stains, or heavy roof snow, don’t wait and schedule a free inspection with us today!