Ice dams are a familiar sight for many residents of the Cincinnati area — the huge chunks of ice that form along the edge of the roof, especially when temperatures are dipping above and below freezing.
The sheer weight of ice dams can be a serious threat to your roof, your gutters and anyone passing below the edge of your roof. Even when they don’t become an immediate problem, they’re often an indication of other trouble you’ll want to take care of.
In this blog post, the experts at Mooney & Moses will explain how to prevent ice dams from forming in and on your gutters and why ignoring the issue could prove catastrophic.
The Dangers of Gutter Ice Dams
There are many reasons for a homeowner to take ice dams seriously:
- Blocked gutters prevent the controlled flow of melting snow or rain from your roof.
- The weight and blockage can lead to leakage along the edge of your roof.
- The weight of accumulating ice on your gutters can damage them or make them collapse completely.
- Big enough ice dams can damage your roof due to the weight.
- Large chunks of ice can fall off your roof from ice dams, harming anything or anyone below.
The main threat of ice dams is their ability to grow larger with time, increasing weight in an area, and the fact that it will often be the same each winter.
How To Prevent Frozen Gutters
There are a few key factors in preventing frozen gutters in general and large ice dams specifically. The simplest and most immediate concerns should be keeping your gutters and downspouts clear, clean and well-maintained; every obstruction in your gutters creates an opportunity for ice to accumulate.
Beyond simple gutter maintenance, consider adding gutter guards to your home. This will make it much easier to keep your gutters clean and clear year-round while helping prevent ice dams. They can also help keep drainage working right when temperatures rise again, keeping snow and ice out while letting water flow through.
Ice dams often form even on homes without gutters as a result of a specific issue: poorly insulated and weatherized roofs. If your home is leaking heat via the roof, ice dams can rapidly form as a result of all the snow and ice on your roof melting and refreezing when it hits the much colder air at the edge. That’s why weatherizing your roof is crucial.
Best Ways to Weatherize Your Roofing System
There are many ways to weatherize a roof — choosing the right method really depends on your home. Some options include:
- Heated gutter systems to keep water from refreezing in your gutters
- Attic insulation to prevent heat from your home from thawing your roof
- Air sealing and ventilation to keep temperatures stable throughout your roof
A properly weatherized roof shouldn’t create hot and cold spots that allow for ice dams to form and build up into a problem.
Choose Us for Air Sealing, Gutter Repair & More in Cincinnati
If you need help getting your roof up to standard to prevent ice dams and related problems, the experts at Mooney & Moses will be glad to help.
We offer air sealing, gutter repairs, gutter guard installation, heated gutter systems, insulation installation and more to Cincinnati-area homes — everything you might need to keep the ice and water safely distributed across your roof and draining safely down your gutters.
Discuss these services with the Mooney & Moses team today by calling (513) 341-8918.
