A beaver makes a dam in order to block off water so he can create a home. Mother Nature, on the other hand, creates another type of dam caused by weather. This particular blockade is called an ice dam, and it can be quite destructive to a home. And it may even cost the homeowner a great deal of money to fix it.
What is an Ice Dam?
An ice dam is a piece of ice that develops along the outer edge of the roof. This ridge of ice halts the melting snow from falling off of the roof. The water that can't pass the dam has the potential to leak into your home. It's very destructive since it can damage multiple areas of the house. For instance, it may harm your ceilings, insulation, walls, flooring and other areas in the home. Depending on your home's decor and the severity of the leaking water, this can cost you thousands of dollars in repair costs.
There isn't just one issue that leads to an ice dam forming. It's actually several factors that work together to form an impasse on the top of your house. Heat loss from your home, cold outside and snow all team up and cause an ice dam to form. When the snow falls on your roof, part of the roof needs to be above 32 degrees Fahrenheit while another portion of the roof needs to be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When the snow falls on the portion that is warmer than 32 degrees, it will melt and flow down to the part of the roof that's below 32 degrees, where it freezes.
Fixing the Problem
When you hire a roofing company, they will come out and remove all the snow from the roof in order to remove part of the problem. They use a special tool similar to a rake along with a broom. The chunk of ice that's blocking water from traveling off the roof may need to have a channel made through it in order to allow the water to flow through.
If there is a situation where the water is already flowing into the home, roofers may need to take special precautions to repair the roof. The ceiling will need to be made air tight so no warm air can flow through. Contact the professionals at Intelligent Design Corp at idesigncorporation.com to get the job done right!