Icicles hanging down from your eaves may be beautiful and fun for children to break off and use as play swords, but they’re also a telltale sign that you have ice dams. It may be tempting to leave ice dams alone since they give your home that picturesque winter aesthetic. However, the damage that ice dams can cause is the exact opposite of aesthetically pleasing. It’s important to have ice dams removed as soon as possible. Professional ice dam removal from Snow Melt Utah will prevent damages and preserve the structural integrity of your home and lifespan of your roof.
What Are Ice Dams?
Ice dams are masses of solid ice that form at the edges of your roofs. They typically form after snowstorms, once the snow on your roof melts but then refreezes at the ends, due to surface temperature differences. This causes a buildup of ice – an ice dam – which prevents snowmelt from being able to drain off of your roof. As such, ice dams can grow and grow until they weigh hundreds of pounds.
Ice dams can cause significant damage to your roof and necessitate extensive repairs. It’s vital that you prevent them however you can. If you notice icicles on your roof, you need to hire professional ice dam removal right away. Ice dams can not only damage your roof, but also the interior of your building. This is due to their weight and how they prevent snow melt from draining.
How Ice Dams Form
It’s a common misconception that gutters cause ice dams. This isn’t true. Ice dams form when the warmth of your attic causes the snow on your roof to melt. However, the eaves of your roof are still cold, because they extend out from the sides of your home. As such, the moisture freezes when it reaches your eaves. This forms an ice dam.
While your upper roof stays warm, your eaves remain at freezing temperatures, so that even though there’s ice buildup on the edges of your roof, the snow melt behind it stays liquid. This creates a melting and refreezing cycle which can worsen your ice dams.
The Danger Of Ice Dams
Ice dam removal is an important service because ice dams pose many dangers to both you and your property. Some of the dangers ice dams cause include:
- Property Damage
Snowmelt that gets under your shingles can then harden, which pulls your shingles away from your roof. The weight of ice dams can damage your roof and pull your gutters away from your home. They can also allow for snowmelt to leak through your roof, causing damage to the interior of your home and its structural integrity.
- Mold Growth
The wetness from snowmelt doesn’t just cause water-stained ceilings. It can also lead to mold growth in your home. Many times, you won’t even notice mold until it’s already caused significant damage. In addition to damaging the surfaces it grows on, mold can also cause health problems, such as respiratory issues.
- Risk Of Injury
Pretty as icicles are, they can also break off, fall, and injure anyone walking under them. Ice dams can also lead to large amounts of snow and ice sliding off your roof at once, which can also lead to injury.
Leave Ice Dam Removal To The Professionals
Here in Utah, people love to try to do projects themselves. However, ice dam removal is best left to the professionals at Snow Melt Utah. This is because ice dam removal is both strenuous and dangerous when done incorrectly. The team at Snow Melt Utah has the training, equipment, and experience in order to remove ice dams safely and properly.
Trying to hack ice dams off your roof or using the wrong equipment can easily damage it. When you hire Snow Melt Utah for your ice dam removal, you can count on the fact that we’ll treat your home as if it were our own. That means using the most current equipment and technology that will remove your ice dams in a way that prevents damage.
In addition to ice dam removal, we can also provide you with solutions to prevent them entirely. Our high quality heat cables and snow retention systems will help keep your roof ice dam free. Contact us today to schedule your ice dam removal or to learn more about how our services can prevent them from forming in the first place.
