Ice dams can form on your roof after heavy snow, sleet, or hail storms if your home has poor insulation. The snow at the top of your roof will melt and run down the roof, where it will be blocked by snow and ice. The bottom of the roof is usually colder because it isn’t adjacent to a heated living space, and it’s here that ice dams will block water from running into the gutters. As a result, standing water will eventually seep through the roof.

The Dangers of Ice Dams

Ice dams on a roof can be dangerous because they cause water to leak into the home below. This affects the rafters, wall framing, sheathing, and roof decking. If left undetected, the moisture will lead to mold growth, which can cause allergic reactions and respiratory illnesses like asthma.

If water leaks into your home, the existing insulation will get wet. This makes it even harder to prevent ice dams in the future. Plus, ice dams can damage exterior structures as well. As melted snow and ice run down your roof and refreeze at the bottom, large icicles will develop on the sides of your roof. These can damage the roof, gutter, and siding when they break off. They can also seriously injure someone standing below.

How to Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams form when the space directly underneath a roof is too warm. When you turn on the heater in your home, warm air rises and makes its way through the attic up to the roof. Proper insulation can prevent most of this heat from escaping interior spaces. If the underside of the roof doesn’t get warm, layers of snow or ice won’t melt prematurely. Insulation should be applied to the underside of the roof instead of below the attic. This will seal the attic and prevent it from getting too warm. You must also keep your attic ventilated by installing a ridge vent to direct air from the bottom of the attic through the top.

If there’s already an ice dam on your roof, you can still make an effort to eliminate further problems. For example, you can remove snow from the roof using a rake from the ground. Alternatively, you could fill old pantyhose with calcium chloride and throw them on the roof behind the ice dam. This will melt the dam and allow water to flow off the roof.

Since you can’t prevent snowstorms in Anchorage, AK, it’s best to hire a roofing expert to improve your roofing insulation. Luckily, General Roofing has over 40 years of experience and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. It’s their goal to keep the roof over your head in top condition. You can learn more about ice dams and how to prevent them by visiting the website, or call (907) 561-1460 to speak to one of their roofing contractors about your situation.