If you’ve lived in Minnesota for at least a winter season, you no doubt know about the insidious threat of ice dams. Formed by a complex interaction between the temperature of your attic and the outside air, according to The Spruce, they can lead to massive water damage thanks to the puddling they cause. 

While the damage they do might be obvious if you know where to look, knowing if you have an ice dam is a different story. When your roof is covered in snow and icicles are par for the course in the wintertime, how can you know when there’s an issue? Intelligent Design Corporation, your Maple Grove ice dam removal experts, is here with a few tips on how to spot them.

Large Icicles: A Telltale Sign

While the word “large” is, of course, subjective, any icicle that makes you pause and take a second look at it thanks to its mass potentially has an ice dam hiding behind it. When meltwater overflows the ridge of ice that the ice dam has created, it proceeds to flow downwards and refreeze, causing large icicles to form. The larger the icicle, the longer the ice dam has had to fester, and the greater of a chance that you’ll need water damage restoration as a result. 

 Generally speaking, icicles hanging solely off of your gutters don’t signal ice dam formation—but you still should have them removed. All that extra weight really can add up and result in costly springtime repairs.

Water Stains in the Attic

If the ice dam on your home has been hanging around for quite some time or your roofing was weak to begin with, you may begin to notice water damage in your attic. Namely, this constitutes dark smudges on the wooden areas above your rafters where backed-up water has cut through your roofing’s defenses. 

Ideally, you’ll have located your ice dam far before the damage progresses to this point, but if otherwise, you’ll need ice dam roof removal immediately. Water damage in the roof can quickly lead to health-compromising mold infestations.

Isolated Damp Areas of Insulation

Insulation can become damp for a variety of reasons—improper roofing ventilation being one of them. However, if you notice isolated areas of wet insulation, this points to a roof leak, which can in turn point to ice dam formation. It’s not a hard-and-fast indication, but nonetheless in this case it’s a good idea to have a residential roofing pro out, as something is obviously wrong with your roofing.

Intelligent Design Corporation: Maple Grove Roofing and Ice Dam Removal Pros

Worried about your roof’s welfare? We’ve got you covered. Give our Maple Grove office a call today at 763-315-0745.