Ice damming- It’s not a term many people know about who live in the south, simply because it’s not a problem we usually have. We usually only get snow once or twice a year, and its most often not enough to get kids out of school or to shut businesses down. So when we have weather like we are right now with 5-6 days straight with below freezing temperatures and 5″ of snow in one day with more predicted for a few more days, it’s something we at Upchurch Builders like to start talking about. We warn all of our clients about it. So here it is!
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. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas. (Taken from https://extension.umn.edu/protecting-home-rain-and-ice/dealing-and-preventing-ice-dams)
Here is an illustration of an ice dam I found at https://www.icedamcompany.com/about-ice-dams/
So what can you do about this? Get up on your roof and break away all the snow and ice from the edges of your roof! It might not sound like your idea of fun (especially when it’s freezing cold out), but it can save you a lot of trouble and money!