Icicles are usually the first sign of ice buildup on your roof

But, why should anyone care? Because ice buildups on roofs are costly. Ice buildup or “dams” usually occurs at the edge of your roof by gutters or soffits. They are caused by accumulating snow on roofs and improper or inadequate venting of the attic space. Heat rises in your attic, warming the top-most parts of your roof. The snow on these parts of your roof turns to water. The water runs down the roof slope and contacts the colder portions of the roofline, usually at the edge and refreezes.

Once the ice buildup occurs, the ice acts like a real dam at the edge of your roof, preventing water behind the dam from making it off your roof. The water behind the dam creeps under shingles, spreads them apart, and finds its way to your attic, walls, and ceilings. The leaking water also compacts the insulation already in your attic. Once the moisture has found it’s way in, you have problems ranging from insulation and drywall damage to perfect breeding conditions for mold.

While it is critical that you address ice buildup on your roof immediately, we do not recommend anyone attempt to remove an ice dam on their own. This is really a job for roofing professionals. Inexperienced homeowners can cause significant damage by turning this into a Do-It-Yourself project.

Let Griffin Insulation Services help you prevent ice buildup in the future by ensuring proper ventilation and insulation for your roof. Call our experts today at 888-547-4334.