Ice and Snow?
February 10, 2010 | Filed under: Articles, Ice Dams and Metal Roofing
In many areas of the country, this has been a horrible winter for ice and snow. While this situation is a homeowner’s nightmare, it will keep roofing contractors very busy in the Spring.
Check out my podcast on ice dams. It will help you understand why ice and snow ends up being so damaging to roofs.
The worst situation for ice dams involves a lot of snow, not much sun, fairly cold temperatures with occasional warm swings, and little attic ventilation. This creates a condition of compacting ice on the roof that can eventually work its way under shingles and into your home, usually around the outside perimeter.
Even more frustrating is that sometimes your roof can look fine but the drips inside your house, along with wet insulation and eventual mold inside the attic, tell a different story! And, if next summer you don’t replace your roof, you will be prone to even greater problems next winter.
Metal roofing for many reasons is great at protecting against ice dams and their resulting interior leaks and damage. However, any time you re-roof, regardless of the roofing material, it’s a great idea to look at increasing your attic ventilation — another big help toward avoiding ice dams.
Todd Miller has spent his entire career in the metal building products manufacturing industry. He is president of Isaiah Industries, an organization recognized as one of the world’s leading metal roofing manufacturers. Todd is currently Vice President of the MRA (Metal Roofing Association) and a Past Chair of MCA (Metal Construction Association). Through his website, he strives to raise the bar on standards and practices to provide property owners with the best possible products for successful roofing projects.
You may pull quotes from this article provided you include a link back to the original article on this site. You may not reprint this full article, or even a significant amount of the article, without explicit permission. To gain permission, click here.
Leave a Reply