A roof ice dam can cause severe, expensive damage to your home. Avoid costly problems with proper roof winter maintenance and preventative ice dam solutions.
At Sundown Exteriors, we offer high-quality ice dam prevention and repair services to homes across central Illinois, including Bloomington, Normal, Lincoln, Pontiac, and Peoria. Below, our locally owned team dives into everything you need to know about preventing ice dams this winter.
What Is a Roof Ice Dam?
An ice dam is a large block of ice on the edge of a sloped roof formed from roof ice melt that ultimately prevents melting snow and water from properly draining off the roof. As water backs up behind the ice dam from the blockage, it can leak into your interior roofing structure, attic, and home, causing severe, long-term damage. If you notice icicles forming on the edges of your roof, you may be seeing the first signs of an ice dam.
Ice dams typically form from a poor combination of heat inside the home, extreme cold outside, and heavy snow. Without proper insulation and ventilation inside your home, your attic sends a lot of heat up to your roof, causing snow to melt and refreeze overnight, creating a dam of ice on the eaves. Eaves typically hold ice dams because the edges of your roof extend beyond the warmest parts of your home near the attic.
As the ice dam continues to melt and refreeze day after day, growing into a larger block of ice, snow will not be able to melt off the roof. Water must find a way to escape somewhere, so it will eventually seep into your roof’s shingles, underlayment, and interior materials until you end up with leaks. The roof ice dam may also break off entirely as temperatures rise, potentially pulling off shingles and roofing materials with it.
Tips on Preventing Roof Ice Dams in Illinois
Clearly, roof ice dams can cause a lot of damage, so how can you prevent them from forming? We recommend the following strategies:
Clear Snow Regularly
An excellent way to prevent ice dams from forming is by regularly clearing snow from your roof. Such a task may seem overwhelming, but you can get the job done with the right tools. For adequate roof snow removal, we recommend considering the following:
- Roof snow rakes: Long rakes that help you pull snow off your roof in chunks after storms
- Snow guards: Small attachments secured to your roof that automatically release sections of snow to prevent snow avalanches and ice dams
- Snow rails: Larger attachments secured to the roof performing a similar function to snow guards
Keep Your Gutters Clear
Your gutters may get clogged with debris throughout the year, preventing proper drainage after heavy snowfall. We recommend regularly clearing your gutters and downpipes to ensure water can drain properly.
Improve Your Ventilation and Exhaust Systems
With proper attic ventilation and exhaust systems, you can prevent heat buildup in your upper rooms and attic. You may consider upgrading your attic ventilation, kitchen or bathroom vents, house fans, and more to ensure your attic doesn’t get hot enough to create ice dams.
Add Insulation
Proper insulation in your attic can prevent your home’s heat from affecting your roof performance. By installing thick insulation on your attic floors, your home’s heat will not penetrate the attic, so you won’t need to worry about excess heat creating ice dams.
Does Your Roof Need Repairs?
Whether you need roof ice dam removal or repairs, call Sundown Exteriors in central Illinois today at (309) 275-6801 for a free estimate. If you need a roof replacement, we partner with industry-leading brands CertainTeed and Owens Corning.