Metal Roofing 101: Ice Dams

Icicles hanging along the eaves of your house may look beautiful, but they spell trouble. That's because the same conditions that allow icicles to form, snow-covered roofs and freezing weather, also lead to ice dams—thick ridges of solid ice that build up along the eaves. Dams can tear off gutters, loosen shingles, and cause water to back up and pour into your house.

A homeowner who doesn't have a properly insulated attic could be faced with an ice dam upstairs. Heat from an attic can melt snow on the roof causing the melted water pools to get into the house.

To prevent an ice dam, don't heat the roof. Keep the roof cold. A well-insulated attic will ensure that the snow on the roof will eventually dissipate without making large amounts of melted-water. The underside of the roof deck should not exceed 30 F. The best way to maintain low temperatures is by ensuring that there is adequate insulation and sealing gaps that let warm air pass into the attic from the house.

The attic must also be ventilated  so that cold air is introduced into it and heated air escapes rapidly. Please visit our website or our Ask The Experts forum for more winter weather related questions.

While your neighbors may re-roof their home many times, a high-quality metal roof will likely be the last roof you will ever need. Resistant to cracking, shrinking and eroding, metal roofing systems can also withstand extreme weather conditions including heavy snow loads, hail storms and wildfires.

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