Well, here we are in a winter wonderland…again! You’ve shoveled your driveway and salted the sidewalk, but before you wrap up in that snuggie and whip up a cup of hot chocolate, F.H. Furr wants to let you know there may be a little something you haven’t considered. It’s below freezing outside, there’s snow on your roof, and you are toasty inside—these three factors, though seemingly harmless separately, could together be a recipe for a disaster! The heat from your heating system rising and heating the surface of your roof causes snow to melt. “Perfect, no need to remove it myself!” you say. Think again. While snow nearest the heated part of your roof melts, snow untouched by the heat and refrozen by the winter air creates a dam and traps a store of water that could seep through your attic, into your roof, and eventually your interior walls! Here are some helpful tips to prevent ice dams:
- Clean & maintain your gutters; a clogged gutter worsens ice dams
- Lessen or completely remove heat sources directly affecting the roof – heat from other rooms (perhaps from light fixtures) will increase heat by convection and infiltrate the attic; uninsulated ductwork, furnaces, or water heaters in your attic put you further at risk
- Roof Ventilation – attic rafter vents or insulation baffles MUST be stapled to the underside of the roof deck in order for air flow through vents
- Attic Floor insulation – this keeps warm air from the rooms below out of your attic; if you live in an older home, attic floor insulation is especially necessary
Watch how ice forms a dam on your roof!
F.H. Furr knows the last thing you want to be doing on your snow day is fretting over the newly formed ice dam on your roof. That’s why our highly skilled professionals are armed and ready to ventilate, insulate, and protect against ice dams and increase cost efficiency on your energy bill year-round! Contact F.H. Furr and prevent ice dams from making a “worry” land of your wonderland!
