Ice Dam On Roof Valley

Attached with clips along the roof s edge in a zigzag pattern heated cables help prevent ice dams that lift shingles and cause leaks.

Ice dam on roof valley. The home of your dreams may have six glorious roof valleys so i don t want to speak ill of it but those valleys can create a few problems as far as ice dams are concerned. An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions. How to prevent ice dams use heated cables. The minimum is typically 2 feet 24 inches or 0 60 m above the vertical projection of the inside of the exterior wall.

Effects of ice dams. Snow accumulates in valleys. There s almost always more snow in roof valleys than anywhere else on a roof. And some sections of the roof may be impossible to keep cold.

Dams can tear off gutters loosen shingles and cause water to back up and pour into your house. Ice and water protector must reach above the highest expected level of ice dams which will vary by region and the slope of your roof. Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few. What is an ice dam.

Finally ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam. The rafter bays were not insulated adequately when the house was built and because the rafters in the valley terminate at the valley rafter those rafter bays are completely sealed and cannot be ventilated. That s when you have to call on secondary strategies and ice dam prevention products to prevent ice dam damage. An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow water from draining off the roof.

Or ice dams may consistently form at the foot of roof valleys the junction where two roofs meet at a right angle because they fill with windblown snow. Around chimneys and skylights. It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too. At the eaves of the roof by far the most common spot for ice dams heat cables also known as heat tape or roof ice cables are often the first things that come to mind for homeowners attempting to deal with.

Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house. That s because the same conditions that allow icicles to form snow covered roofs and freezing weather also lead to ice dams. See below for a shopp. Thick ridges of solid ice that build up along the eaves.

As a result heat escapes from the living space melting snow on the roof and creating an ice dam in the valley. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams. An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home. The most common areas of the home for ice dams to form are.

Now that you know how ice dams form here s a quick and easy way to prevent them.