Things to Consider If You Have Had Ice Dams on Your Roof
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Art_Arne]Art Arne
If you have icicles on the eaves of your home an ice dam may be forming on the roof. Ice dams normally form on a snow covered roof where the roof overhangs stay close to the air temperature. Ice forms when water from melting snow higher up on the roof reaches the colder eave and freezes.
Here are some home improvement steps to stop the water trapped by an ice dam from getting into your house.
1. Remove the snow from your roof eaves and above the ice dam. Using ladders in the winter is very dangerous. Use a roof rake or similar tool from the ground but be cautious of damaging shingles and other roofing materials and stay away from power lines. A thick layer of snow is an insulator that allows the roof temperature to be warmer then the outside air temperature. If the attic is above freezing the roof can warm up enough to melt the snow even in sub freezing weather.
2. Have a professional ice removal company remove the ice. It's not cheap at over $20 per foot of eave and can be significantly more depending on how high your roof is and various other factors. This method is a quick fix and may be necessary if water is already entering your home.
3. If there is a way to bring outside air into the attic with a fan you can keep the roof from getting warm enough to melt the snow on it.
What can be done to cure ice dams that can cause water to leak into a house in Minneapolis/St. Paul?
One of the best ways is to stop the heat in your living space from entering the attic. Adding more insulation to the attic over the ceiling and on the ceiling where there is no attic space will also help greatly. The net effect should reduce your heating bills also.
Some houses continue to suffer with ice dam formation and more proactive methods like modifications to roofs or a heating cable system are necessary.
Newer homes normally have a natural ventilation path where air enters the soffit under the eave allowing the attic air to exit through venting in the roof peaks. This balanced system keeps the entire roof at a more constant temperature that greatly reduces the conditions that form ice dams. A remodeling professional can take steps to add venting in the roof or insulate where venting is not an option that can minimize your roofs potential for ice dams.
Garn Construction is a Saint Paul, MN professional remodeling contractor. Please visit their website for more information at [http://www.garninc.com]http://www.garninc.com. The University of Minnesota has a detailed web page about ice dams at [http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/dk1068.html#causes]http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/dk1068.html#causes.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Things-to-Consider-If-You-Have-Had-Ice-Dams-on-Your-Roof&id=7361361] Things to Consider If You Have Had Ice Dams on Your Roof
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Art_Arne]Art Arne
If you have icicles on the eaves of your home an ice dam may be forming on the roof. Ice dams normally form on a snow covered roof where the roof overhangs stay close to the air temperature. Ice forms when water from melting snow higher up on the roof reaches the colder eave and freezes.
Here are some home improvement steps to stop the water trapped by an ice dam from getting into your house.
1. Remove the snow from your roof eaves and above the ice dam. Using ladders in the winter is very dangerous. Use a roof rake or similar tool from the ground but be cautious of damaging shingles and other roofing materials and stay away from power lines. A thick layer of snow is an insulator that allows the roof temperature to be warmer then the outside air temperature. If the attic is above freezing the roof can warm up enough to melt the snow even in sub freezing weather.
2. Have a professional ice removal company remove the ice. It's not cheap at over $20 per foot of eave and can be significantly more depending on how high your roof is and various other factors. This method is a quick fix and may be necessary if water is already entering your home.
3. If there is a way to bring outside air into the attic with a fan you can keep the roof from getting warm enough to melt the snow on it.
What can be done to cure ice dams that can cause water to leak into a house in Minneapolis/St. Paul?
One of the best ways is to stop the heat in your living space from entering the attic. Adding more insulation to the attic over the ceiling and on the ceiling where there is no attic space will also help greatly. The net effect should reduce your heating bills also.
Some houses continue to suffer with ice dam formation and more proactive methods like modifications to roofs or a heating cable system are necessary.
Newer homes normally have a natural ventilation path where air enters the soffit under the eave allowing the attic air to exit through venting in the roof peaks. This balanced system keeps the entire roof at a more constant temperature that greatly reduces the conditions that form ice dams. A remodeling professional can take steps to add venting in the roof or insulate where venting is not an option that can minimize your roofs potential for ice dams.
Garn Construction is a Saint Paul, MN professional remodeling contractor. Please visit their website for more information at [http://www.garninc.com]http://www.garninc.com. The University of Minnesota has a detailed web page about ice dams at [http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/dk1068.html#causes]http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/dk1068.html#causes.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Things-to-Consider-If-You-Have-Had-Ice-Dams-on-Your-Roof&id=7361361] Things to Consider If You Have Had Ice Dams on Your Roof