Your home’s gutters play an essential role in directing water…
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Out of all of the problems that plague a homeowner during the winter, ice dams just might be the worst. They’re common, remarkably stubborn, and they can do massive damage to your Columbus home and roof. But what is an ice dam exactly, and how does it form? And more importantly, what can you do about them? To you, the team at APCO says: know your enemy.
Is your roof experiencing frequent ice dams? If so, it may be time to repair or replace it! Contact the professionals at APCO online to learn more, or to schedule a consultation with our certified roofing team!
An ice dam is a stubborn formation of ice that collects along the eaves of your roof. These build over a short period of time into, as the name suggests, a dam that prevents water from precipitation from running off of your roof as it should.
Ice dams most frequently come as a result of the roof of your home being warmer than the eaves (the part of your roof that overhangs the home). This warmth melts snow, and the resulting water runs down to the eaves, where it is cold enough to freeze again. And freeze it does. Over time this process repeats, until an ice dam is formed.
Absolutely! The weight of the dam itself is risk enough, as it commonly results in gutter damage, or even completely dislodged gutters. But the bigger issue is actually the “dam” part. When the dam gets big enough, it will totally block the melted snow from exiting your roof, trapping what is eventually a large puddle of water on your roof. This puddle will begin intruding on your home, resulting in considerable roof and home water damage.
The best solution is to never get them in the first place. With the right amount of roof insulation and proper ridge ventilation, a healthy roof shouldn’t ever really form ice dams—or it should at least be very rare.
But if you’ve already got ice dams, you have a couple quick temporary options until you get some roofing service:
Is your roof healthy enough to take on (or better yet prevent) ice dams, and the damage they cause? If not, or if you’re unsure, get in touch with our roofing professionals by contacting us online today!