Minnesota Ice Dams: What They Are and Why Your Roof Suffers
White wintry wonderlands are beautiful to look at from within the warm confines of our homes but when the wrath of the almighty ice dam starts becoming an unwanted guest inside our homes is when we quickly learn how mighty Mother Nature can be.
A case in point is the photo below. If you find yourself in the circumstance that you have noticed a collection of ice forming on the side of your home, such as this; Then it's safe to assume that the ice dam has already arrived!
As Minnesotans, we've all seen images such as this either on our house or our neighbors. Some years are worse than others. If you've ever had to battle an ice dam, the experience is an experience you’ll never forget and presumably one that you do want to live through again.
The picture below sums up what is happening on the rooftop.
The damages may be substantial, the remediation's can be costly, and in some circumstances, daily living or day-to-day operations can be interrupted while the clean-up ensues.
DEFENSE
If there is no snow, there will likely be no ice. In other words, keep your roof clear of snow accumulations of 6” or more. The big box stores sell Roof Rakes which can be used from the ground level to manually pull the snow off the roof before it has an opportunity to freeze. In cases where your home's roof is more than 10 feet off the ground, your options may be limited. This scenario would require someone to physically get on top of the roof and remove the snow.
Ice Pucks, Heat Cables, or Salt Socks are tools to help in the battle if the ice has already formed. If the accumulation is severe enough, the ice may need removal from the roof using Ice Picks or even Steam Machines.
In this great state, we call home, the battle with the almighty Ice Dam is our innate reality but one that we can win with a bit of know-how and a touch of elbow grease.
At Twin City Roofing were here to help with any Ice Dam related needs because;
“We are your home improvement experts, so you don't have to be”
