Preventing Snow & Ice Damage to Your Roof

Winter may be a beautiful time of year for those who enjoy the picturesque scene of their home covered in snow, but your roof doesn’t have the same appreciation for it. In fact, winter months are some of the hardest on your roof because of the threat of snow and ice settling in your roof. Homeowners are usually well aware of some of the serious damage these substances can cause to your roof, but we find that only a select few actually know how to properly protect it. Here are a few simple ways you as a homeowner can prevent snow and ice from wreaking havoc on your roof.

Keep the Attic Cold

Ventilation is an extremely important part of a good roof, which means your attic space needs to have good airflow through it. Keeping your attic about as cold as it is outside is a good way to prevent snow from melting and then re-forming into an ice dam near the eaves. But a cold attic can also lead to a cold home, which means you need a solid, reliable layer of insulation that separates your attic from the rest of your home below. Have a roofer or energy auditor inspect your attic and consider installing new insulation if your current solution is aging or full of potential heat leaks that can warm your attic.

Clear the Gutters

As snow and ice melt, they’ll slowly drip down into your gutters. If your gutters are also cold, water can re-freeze in them. If your gutters haven’t been cleaned in some time, they’re likely full of dirt, leaves, sticks, dust, and other debris that prevents water from being able to flow away, thus even further increasing the chance that the water will re-freeze into ice in your gutter. Gutters that are too heavy can potentially rip off the side of your home, causing damage or even injury to whatever (or whoever) happens to be below. Before the first snowfall, be sure to clear out your rain gutters to ensure a smooth and easy water flow.

Prevent Buildup

Have you ever lifted a bucket full of water and realized how heavy it is? Snow and ice are also made of water, which means the massive amounts that build up on your roof are also adding that kind of weight to your roof itself. While most homes in snow-prone climates are built to withstand some of this extra weight, it’s not unheard of for an older or already-damaged roof to collapse, particularly under a heavy snowfall. If more than a foot of snow accumulates on your roof, it’s strongly advised you get on a ladder and use a snow-rake to remove some of this excess powder to try to ease the load on your roof. Be careful when doing this, however: ice that is scraped from your roof, such as a dislodged ice dam, could cause serious damage to anything below.