Ice dams form over your roof when your attic’s warm enough to melt the layer of ice between the shingles and freshly fallen snow. The trapped water slowly makes its way through the shingles and into the eaves of your roof causing serious water damage to your house.
Ignoring ice damming can cost you big in the long run. Ice dams can tear off gutters, loosen shingles or even cause water seepage into the house leading to peeling paint, warping ceiling and walls, and even mold and mildew.
How Do You Take Care Of Existing Ice Dams?
Ice dams may look like a pretty winter picture, but the damage they can cause can be truly troublesome. Here are three easy ways in which you can get rid of the existing ice dams on your roof.
1: Cool your attic. Use box fans to cool the underside of your roof. That will help with keeping the ice frozen and keep any water damage at bay.
2: Use a roof rake. A roof rake can come in handy to scrape all the snow, ice and water off the roof. Do not try to chip away at the ice. Climbing ladders in the winter is a bad idea and you could end up damaging some shingles in the process.
3: Calcium-chloride filled pantyhose. Trust us, we are not joking. Buy some ice melt, fill an old leg of panty hose with it and lay it flat on the ice dams. This will help the ice melt and the water will roll off your roof.
How To Prevent Ice Damming In The Future?
As a professional roofing company from Ardmore, PA and serving in several areas across Philadelphia, we at Hynes Roofing & Siding can assure you that prevention is certainly better than cure.
1: Add the recommended amount of insulation to your attic. Our expert contractors can help you do this with the best materials available on the market.
2: Ventilate the eaves and ridges of your roof.
3: Make sure you exhaust to the outside through your roof or walls never through a soffit.
4: Ensure the flashing around your chimney is watertight. Add some or repair the existing flashing if need be.
Give Hynes Roofing & Siding a call at (610)-890-5620 or fill out our contact form to get a FREE estimate. Our expert roof contractors near to your location can help you prepare for the winter and fix any existing damage to your roof.
Reach out to Hynes Construction at - 610-896-6388 Or Fill Contact Form
(President, Hynes Roofing and Siding)
With over 35 years experience in the roofing and siding industry, Michelle Hynes has built a business from 2 people into over 45 people and 19 trucks!
