BEWARE! ICE DAMS

12/7/2017 (Permalink)

Ice Dam Diagram

There's an old saying in Utah, "if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes." So far our autumn has fluctuated quite a bit as far as temperature goes. You wake up in the morning freezing even through your winter coat, but a few hours later you're kicking yourself for choosing to wear a sweater. Not only do the highs and lows throw off your wardrobe game, but combined with some precipitation, can make a recipe for costly water damage to your home. 

Ice dams are one of the leading causes of water damage during winter months. Ice accumulates near the gutter where no heat is escaping from the inside of the house through the roof creating a dam for all the melted snow above it. The standing water will eventually find it's way through the shingles, roof, insulation and finally the ceiling. Unfortunately, by the time any symptoms are visible it's already too late so prevention is by far the way to tackle the issue. If you're not wanting to take a ladder excursion up to the roof every time temperatures drop to freezing, heat tape (or coil) installed in the gutters and from the edge of the roof to about 6 inches passed the heated space of your roof will drastically decrease your chances of ice dams. No matter how you prevent ice dams please do so safely.