How to Prevent Ice Dams on Your Roof

1. How to Prevent Ice Dams on Your Roof It’s been a crazy winter! And we still have two months to go. Have you noticed all the potholes on the roads? Well, obviously, the potholes are the result of the freeze/thaw we have been going through. The rapid swings in temperature can wreak havoc on the asphalt roads and cause them to fail. What’s the next biggest asphalt thing in your life? It’s your roof. Every time you see or don’t see and hit a pothole, think about your roof. It might be worth the preventive maintenance to have a professional get up there and take a close look. The continual heating/cooling can cause ice dams which occur when accumulated snow on a sloping roof melts and flows down the roof until it reaches an area cold enough and then refreezes, typically at the eaves. The ice formed in such a way often grows and “backs-up” the roof pushing its way under the shingles and damaging everything in its path. This is a situation that you want to identify early. If you have a professional look at your roof and need to make repairs or replace your roof choose your installer very carefully. A roof that is installed improperly will not be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. Make sure you choose an installer who not only is very experienced but is also credentialed by the manufacturer whose product they install. Very often you can find credentialed contractors at the manufacturer’s website. While there, why not also look for contractors who participate in “take-back” programs to divert your old roof from going into a landfill. Remember, whether you dodge or ford those potholes, they might actually be doing you a favor by reminding you to think about your roof.