What Causes Ice Dams and How To Prevent Them

In this video Ryan from RoofCo shows what causes and how to prevent one of the craziest roof challenges called Ice Damming.
An Ice Dam occurs when snow and ice from your roof begin to melt, once the melting reaches the gutter line of your home it is susceptible to re-freezing and over time an "ice dam" is created. This is not always a problem; however, in extreme situations this dam can force water back up the roofline resulting in an interior leak.Ice damming is caused by several factors, however, the two biggest factors are a lack of insulation and proper roof ventilation.
Astonishingly, 90% of existing American homes are under insulated! That means 90% of existing American homes are wasting money, energy and are not providing their owners with optimal comfort. This is according to Hersindex.com. Insulation creates a blanket in your attic which keeps the conditioned air inside of your house. An under insulated house will lose heat faster resulting in the snow and ice melting first directly above your conditioned living space. This premature melting causes the water to run down the roof line and refreeze once it hits the non-conditioned section of your roof. (Generally close to the gutter line)
Roof Ventilation is critical to the performance and longevity of your home's roof. A proper ventilation system allows your home's attic to breath resulting in warm/moist being able to escape from your attic before creating a problem. In the warmer months a well ventilated roof allows the excessive heat to escape your attic, resulting in a longer lasting roof!
Another option to help reduce the risk of a leak, should an ice dam occur, is installing Ice and Water shield 3' feet up front the line separating the conditioned living space in your house. Ice and Water Shield is a waterproofing membrane which forms a seal around the nails driven through it providing additional protection over standard roofing felt.If you find value in this video please be sure like the video and subscribe to our channel.
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RoofCo is a roofing and solar company committed to providing a transparent look at how to do all things roofing! Our goal is to equip homeowners with all the information they need to either make their own repairs or be armed with all the appropriate information to hire the best contractor for their project.
Thank you and be safe!