With winter bringing the cold, that brings problems and issues happening around your home and business. Prepping and getting your property ready for cold winter weather may not be enough to not have issues with the cold. Most known issues come with pipes bursts or heat not working, while most do not know about ice dams. An ice dam is an ice build-up on the eaves of sloped roofs of heated buildings that results from melting snow under a snow pack reaching the eave and freezing there, if melted the water seeps back up under the shingles. Sometimes water can work its way 5 or even 10 ft. back up under the shingles.
Eventually, it will drip into the insulation and down into the ceilings and exterior walls beneath the eave. If the ice dam breaks free, it can pull shingles and gutters off with it, and it will damage anything it falls on: shrubs, windowsills, cars, pets, and people. If the roof sheathing stays wet, it can form mildew and start to rot. While spring is the season that we usually associate with flooding, these winter events can also cause indoor flooding situations that require water restoration. Water damage will continue until the ice dam is discovered and the affected area is repaired. Since ice dams are usually caused by heat escaping from the house, making sure your home is properly insulated can help reduce the risk of ice dam formation.
Using one of two methods can be beneficial by scraping snow from the roof whenever it falls. Method one is to use a snow rake from below or method two is to use a broom or plastic shovel from above, but the first method can bury you in snow, while the second can send you slipping off the roof. The best method is to call and hire professional that will get the job done correct. You can replace your shingle roof with standing seam or other metal roof. Or you can replace the bottom three feet or so of your shingle roof with a wide metal drip edge. Whatever you do, install a water-repellant membrane under any new roofing.
Let your friends at Blue River Restoration help you out and make sure your home is taken care of.
