In the state of Oregon, we most certainly see our fair share of winter weather. From snowstorms to freezing cold weather, the citizens of the state will certainly know that the cold season is upon us. Just like with summer weather, the winter brings with it a unique beauty and specific dangers.
One of the most classic scenes from the winter months is a roof covered with freshly fallen powdered snow accumulation and icicles hanging from the eaves. However, even though everyone has seen this image, it can be severely damaging to your home.
Snow, ice, and icicles are certainly a regular occurrence during the winter season. While they may look very pretty, they present serious potential problems for the owners of the properties on which they have accumulated.
Unfortunately, ice dams can have a devastating effect of the structural integrity of your roof. Unless proper ice dam removal is done and a snow rake is used to remove built-up snow from your roof, there may be a need for serious roof repairs or even a roof replacement. Ice accumulation in any situation presents a clear danger and a hazard, so it is critical that homeowners take preventive measures when it comes to snow and ice on their roofs.
At HotEdge, our trained professionals understand the seriousness of ice and snow on your roof and the potential it has to cause damage. We have developed ice melt systems to eliminate these problems. Our systems are designed for any type of sloped roof, and they will give the homeowner peace of mind knowing that the roof is no longer in any danger of becoming damaged.
What Is an Ice Dam?
Ice dams are large bands of ice that form along the roof edge and in the gutters. When a home has an ice dam problem, it can be more serious than most homeowners may expect or assume. Just as ice forming on the roadways and in parking lots can be dangerous, so too can ice dams on a roof deck.
Whenever homeowners see existing ice dams or small ice dams forming, they need to take action right away to prevent damage and potential health hazards to anyone who may walk underneath of that eave. Ice dam problems are particularly dangerous after they have formed because it is difficult to remove them without potentially injuring yourself. That is why a trained roofing contractor should be the one to get rid of the ice buildup on your roof.
How Do Ice Dams Form?
When snow accumulates on the roof, it will eventually melt when the interior of the home warms up. The surface of the roof is affected by warm air leaks coming from the attic ceiling. As the warm air rises, the snow melts and travels down to the roof’s edge. At the edge, there is no heated air keeping the snow melted, so it begins to re-freeze. Since there are usually no heated gutters, the frozen water remains in the gutter and begins to build up. This is how the weather can create ice dams.
Why Is It Important to Prevent Ice Dams?
Removing ice dams is not always an easy or relatively safe procedure for the average homeowner. Depending on the size of the ice dams, it can be very dangerous to get rid of ice dams which have already formed on the eaves. Ice dam formation can happen relatively quickly, especially when there is a heavy snowfall, and the heat inside the home rises and begins to warm the roof’s surface.
Rather than waiting until you have snow and ice dams already formed on the roof to remove ice dams and snow accumulation, take preventive steps before the winter months. At HotEdge, we recommend investing in one of our roof ice melt systems which are designed to prevent ice dam formations. Our roofing systems will melt ice dams before they have a chance to even form. It is much better to eliminate ice dams from potentially forming that having to remove ice dams in the dead of winter.
Preventing ice dams is key to maintaining the integrity of your roof and making sure that anyone or anything which may pass under the roof is not in harm’s way. If you have an existing ice dam, it will require extreme caution to get rid of it.
You should never attempt getting onto your roof via a ladder in the winter because the slipping and falling risk is too high. Instead, use a roof rake to remove as much snow accumulation as possible. For the ice dams themselves, you may want to contact a roofing professional to remove ice dam forms and keep everyone safe.
As we have said, our ice dam prevention team at HotEdge is here to discuss all of your options with you for ice dam prevention. We have ice melt systems that will work on any type of roof, and we are sure that you will rest easier knowing that your roof is secure during the cold months.
Contact Our Oregon Ice Melt Experts
Each roofing professional on our team understands the dangers associated with the formation of an ice dam, and we want to help every client stay safe and secure in their homes. No one wants to find out that their roof’s shingles have been damaged or there is a hole in the roof due to ice on the roof throughout the winter. Ice dam damage can be expensive, so investing in a system to avoid ice dams altogether is a clear hit.
If you are tired of attempting dangerous DIY ice dam removal at home or using calcium chloride ice melt or rock salt that just does not work, contact HotEdge today. Our ice dam elimination team will discuss the details of all of our products with you and make sure that you choose the right system for your metal roof, shingles, wood shake, and others.
