Moisture entering the home from ice dams can lead to the growth of mold and mildew.
Ice dam on roof valley.
Now that you know how ice dams form here s a quick and easy way to prevent them.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow water from draining off the roof.
That s when you have to call on secondary strategies and ice dam prevention products to prevent ice dam damage.
See below for a shopp.
And some sections of the roof may be impossible to keep cold.
Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few.
The rafter bays were not insulated adequately when the house was built and because the rafters in the valley terminate at the valley rafter those rafter bays are completely sealed and cannot be ventilated.
Attached with clips along the roof s edge in a zigzag pattern heated cables help prevent ice dams that lift shingles and cause leaks.
Thick ridges of solid ice that build up along the eaves.
An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home.
The minimum is typically 2 feet 24 inches or 0 60 m above the vertical projection of the inside of the exterior wall.
That s because the same conditions that allow icicles to form snow covered roofs and freezing weather also lead to ice dams.
In valleys of the roof.
Effects of ice dams.
The most common areas of the home for ice dams to form are.
Finally ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam.
Or ice dams may consistently form at the foot of roof valleys the junction where two roofs meet at a right angle because they fill with windblown snow.
There s almost always more snow in roof valleys than anywhere else on a roof.
Around chimneys and skylights.
The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas.
It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.
The home of your dreams may have six glorious roof valleys so i don t want to speak ill of it but those valleys can create a few problems as far as ice dams are concerned.
Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house.
How to prevent ice dams use heated cables.
An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions.
Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams.
Snow accumulates in valleys.
At the eaves of the roof by far the most common spot for ice dams heat cables also known as heat tape or roof ice cables are often the first things that come to mind for homeowners attempting to deal with.
What is an ice dam.
