The cold temperatures have arrived. Is your roof prepared for freezing temperatures, ice and snow? Our Minnesota winters can take quite the toll on roofing. It is essential now, during the coldest months, to keep an eye on your roof to avoid ice dams and other roof damaging occurrences. Large amounts of snow and ice can quickly become troublesome, causing ice dams to form as the snow accumulates, melts and accumulates. Are you aware of the possible damage of ice dams? As the favorite roofing company of St Paul and the entire Twin Cities area, we would like to tell you more about ice dams and their prevention.
What is an ice dam? Ice dams are formed on a slanted roof when heat from the attic causes snow on the roof to melt. Ice dams are also often the result of a warm attic.
How to prevent them. It may seem counterintuitive but preventing an ice dam hinges on keeping your roof cold. One of the best ways to do so is by ensuring you have proper insulation and ventilation. It is essential your attic is properly insulated so be sure to upgrade your insulation in order to prevent damaging ice dams. Choose insulation with a high R-value to reduce heat loss by conduction. It is also important to improve attic ventilation. Allowing heated air to escape in a controlled manner will help keep the roof colder which will reduce the melting of the snow.
The importance of a healthy roof. A healthy roof is essential to preventing an ice dam. Ensure your roof doesn’t have any leaks or weak spots. When ice dams form, water then builds up behind the ice dam where it can seep under shingles and into the house. The tell-tale sign of an ice dam is a lot of icicles or a large icicle hanging from the roof. You might also find ice in your gutters or downspouts which will cause water to back up behind it and into the house.
Be sure you protect your roof from ice dams and other winter troubles by scheduling roof repair or replacement with your trusted roofing company as soon as possible.
To learn more about roof repair, contact our roofing company serving St Paul and the surrounding areas, JTR Roofing, at 651-777-7394 or contact us.