If you live in a part of the country that experiences especially harsh winters, you know that ice dams can be a real problem. Ice dams can loosen your roof shingles and even rip off your gutters, both of which can cause significant structural issues and increase the risk of a future water leak. Avoiding this scenario involves preventing ice dams. As odd as it might sound, some homeowners can help prevent the formation of ice dams on their roof simply by keeping their roof colder.

A Cold Roof vs. A Warm Roof

After a period of moderate to light snowfall, the temperature of your roof will sometimes determine whether or not you have a blanket of snow or series of ice dams along your eaves. A colder roof will likely have a blanket of snow, whereas a warmer roof is more likely have ice dams. When your roof is too warm, the snow resting on the rooftop almost immediately melts.

As the melted snow begins to roll down your roof, the air temperature quickly causes it to refreeze, resulting in numerous icicles hanging from your roof eaves and potential ice dams on the roof edge. When your roof is cooler, the snow remains more compacted and doesn't start to melt until the air temperature raises, which eliminates the risk of it freezing and forming a dam.     

Minimize Heat Loss

It's a well-known fact that heat rises. As the escaped heat makes its way through your home it can easily end up in the attic, automatically increasing the temperature of your roof. Access hatches, spaces in between the drywall and open areas around plumbing pipes are all places for air to easily escape. You can eliminate this issue by sealing up any of these known air escape points.

Increase Soffit Vents

A good attic ventilation system flushes out warmer air by bringing in cold air from outside. If you don't have a sufficient number of soffit vents in the space, the hot air will remain in your attic and heat up your roof. A roofing contractor, like Rai Roofing Ltd, can help you determine if your home has a sufficient number of vents using a formula that compares the area of each vent opening to the square footage of your attic.

If ice dams are a problem that routinely plague your home, a roofing contractor can assist. The contractor will assess and repair any ice dam damage and helping put plans in place to help lower the risk of the issue in the future.