Here’s How You Can Prevent Ice Dams on Your Roof This Year

Texas weather can be unpredictable. In the event of cold temperatures and snowfall, it’s always good to prepare for potential damage to your home—and its roof.

Ice dams in particular can loosen shingles, tear off gutters, or cause water to find its way into your house. To avoid any such situation, you should learn these easy tips for ice dam prevention, removal, and long-term repair.

What’s an Ice Dam?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of your roof; it prevents snowmelt from being able to drain properly. And while they don’t always mean an ice dam has formed, icicles tend to be an indicator of this issue.

Ice dams can truly spell trouble—the water that backs up often leaks into your house, damaging your ceiling, walls, and insulation.

How Do They Form?

Ice dams form as a result of nonuniform roof temperatures and snow build-up. When warm air escapes from your attic, snow melts, runs down your roof, and refreezes near the edge, where areas such as the gutters and eavestroughs are colder. Over time, an icy ridge forms and builds up, preventing further snowmelt from draining off the roof.

If you don’t remove these ice dams quickly enough, the water trapped on the roof will eventually find its way into your home and cause damage.

If your home is affected, you will begin to notice stains on your walls, peeling paint, sagging ceilings, and warped floors.

Moreover, the insulation in the attic will become soggy, losing the R-value. This can turn your house into a colony for mold and mildew.

But don’t worry, timely roofing maintenance can save you from most of the trouble.

Prevention Tips

To stay safe during the winter, you need to ensure your roof is ready to face unexpected storms. If you’re unable to follow some of these tips yourself, consider hiring roofing contractors for roof inspections, repairs, and replacements.

Roof Rake

Using a roof rake is an excellent way to manage snowfall and protect your house against ice dams. 

These are flat-headed rakes with a long handle that enables you to brush snow off your roof without needing a ladder. These types of rakes are great for keeping your gutters and drains clean, and removes snow up to six feet from the eaves.

Heat Cables

Heat cables—also known as heat tape or de-icing cables—are a great way to keep your roof in good shape. You can install them on your own or with the help of a professional.

These hot wires run up and down the edge of your roof in a zigzag pattern, melting snow and preventing ice buildup on your eaves.

Improve Your Attic’s Insulation & Ventilation

Problems start when your attic isn’t adequately insulated and ventilated, as warm air can easily escape and melt any snow piled atop your roof. A well-ventilated roof will maintain the temperature of the attic by allowing natural outdoor airflow into the house. If you aren’t sure whether the airflow in your attic is working properly, consider bringing in a roofing contractor.

At the same time, proper insulation will make sure that indoor heat doesn’t escape into the attic and consequently warm the roof.

Contact 12 Stones Roofing for Roof Maintenance, Repairs, and Installations!

Once the snowfall starts, getting roof maintenance can become extremely difficult. 

Based in Houston, the professionals at 12 Stone Roofing will be happy to inspect your roof and ensure it’s winter-ready. This way, you will be able to live comfortably through the holiday season. 

To hire our roofing contractors, call us at 832-815-9463 or visit us online!