Ice forming on your roof can often be a “damming” scenario” in terms of creating damage to your home. When ice forms on your roof underneath snow, it can create a blockage for water to escape off of the roof through the eaves once it begins to melt. This can result in the water backing up underneath the shingles, and leaking into your home which can cause wood rot, insulation mold, and damage to the drywall and interior finishing of the home.
How to prevent ice dams
First thing to do in order to avoid ice dams is to keep that “dam” ice from accumulating on your roof. The best way to do this is to use a roof shovel from the ground to pull the snow off of the roof. If this is not possible, you might need to climb a ladder onto the roof to get this snow off. If this is not something you feel safe doing, hire a professional or the neighbor’s kid Tommy to do it for you. Whatever method of choice, when it comes time for that freeze/thaw cycle in early spring, get that snow off of the roof ASAP.
If for some reason this cycle has already started or there has been warm snap throughout the winter, there might already be an ice dam that is formed. There might be a need to remove the snow and prevent further damming, or additional measures might have to be taken to remove the existing ice from the roof.
The bottom line
Keeping a close eye on your roof during the spring season can ensure that you wont have issues with water entering your home in places you just don’t want it. Make sure you roof is clear of excess snow this spring as it melts. Ice can also form in the rain gutters along the eaves, so be sure to check this as well as this can also cause water to have an inadequate escape from the roof. The bottom line is to make sure that the snow that melts into water can get away from the roof easily without resistance.
Side note
As the snow begins to melt and condense, it becomes heavier from this process. If there is a cycle of melting and freezing along with additional snow, it might not look like there is much snow on the roof, but the truth might be that there is a lot of weight. This could cause a collapse of your roof, so ensure to take extra precautions to avoid this scenario as well.