Winter weather has arrived. While it may no longer be roofing season, you most likely still have some roofing questions. After all, winter can bring with it a multitude of conditions that can create problems for your roof. One if the most common of these issues are ice dams. At JTR Roofing, we are the trusted residential roofing contractor for the Hudson area and are here to help you with all of your roofing needs. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to ice dams and other winter roofing issues:
Q: What are ice dams?
A: Ice dams are continuous chunks of ice that form along the margins of your roof. While frozen, they cause no more trouble than the icicles that hang down below them. But during the warmer parts of a winter day, water melting off the roof pools behind the ice and then seeps back up under the shingles, slowly causing damage.
Q: How do you know if you have issues with ice dams?
A: Once they have infiltrated your shingles they will eventually drip through the roof into the soffits, walls, and worst of all, onto your ceilings. You’ll first notice ice dam rust spots on drywall fasteners, then perhaps peeling paint, sagging drywall and stains around windows and doors. When should you start fighting ice dams? The fight starts now! Ice dams form when your roof warms to above 32 degrees F, warm enough to melt the snow, while the roof edge remains below freezing. This is often the result of a warm attic. So, the key to preventing ice dams is keeping your attic and roof cold.
Q: How do you spot warm spots?
A: After a snowfall, a cold roof will have a thick blanket of snow. A warmer roof, however, will soon have clear spots where the snow has melted off, and may well have icicles hanging.
Q: What can you do to prevent ice dams?
A: There are a variety of ways to prevent ice dams; from upgrading your attic insulation to raking the snow off of your roof and proper roof and soffit ventilation. And, if you have leakage from an ice dam and can’t rake the snow off the roof, the best way to get rid of the ice dam is to hire a residential roofing contractor to steam it off.
Do you have any additional questions about ice dams? Don’t hesitate to contact the expert residential roofing contractor for Hudson and the surrounding areas; JTR Roofing. We are here to help! Call us at 612-419-6906 or Contact Us.
Q: What are ice dams?
A: Ice dams are continuous chunks of ice that form along the margins of your roof. While frozen, they cause no more trouble than the icicles that hang down below them. But during the warmer parts of a winter day, water melting off the roof pools behind the ice and then seeps back up under the shingles, slowly causing damage.
Q: How do you know if you have issues with ice dams?
A: Once they have infiltrated your shingles they will eventually drip through the roof into the soffits, walls, and worst of all, onto your ceilings. You’ll first notice ice dam rust spots on drywall fasteners, then perhaps peeling paint, sagging drywall and stains around windows and doors. When should you start fighting ice dams? The fight starts now! Ice dams form when your roof warms to above 32 degrees F, warm enough to melt the snow, while the roof edge remains below freezing. This is often the result of a warm attic. So, the key to preventing ice dams is keeping your attic and roof cold.
Q: How do you spot warm spots?
A: After a snowfall, a cold roof will have a thick blanket of snow. A warmer roof, however, will soon have clear spots where the snow has melted off, and may well have icicles hanging.
Q: What can you do to prevent ice dams?
A: There are a variety of ways to prevent ice dams; from upgrading your attic insulation to raking the snow off of your roof and proper roof and soffit ventilation. And, if you have leakage from an ice dam and can’t rake the snow off the roof, the best way to get rid of the ice dam is to hire a residential roofing contractor to steam it off.
Do you have any additional questions about ice dams? Don’t hesitate to contact the expert residential roofing contractor for Hudson and the surrounding areas; JTR Roofing. We are here to help! Call us at 612-419-6906 or Contact Us.