While the icicles hanging from your gutters may be beautiful to look at, the ice dams that may be lurking behind can wreak havoc on your home. It's best to take the necessary measures to stop ice dams before they get a chance to start. Read on to learn more about how they form and what you can do prevent them.
An ice dam is a chunk of ice that forms along the edges of your roof. It occurs when the heat that has collected in your attic warms the roof, causing the snow on it to melt. The water trickles down the roof and reaches the colder eave where it refreezes, gradually forming a dam.
An ice dam can tear off your gutters and loosen shingles. Meltwater from the roof can pool behind it, seep under the shingles and drip into your house. That can have a number of destructive effects such as drenched insulation, warped floors, peeling paint, stained ceilings, rotting joists, and mold growth.
You can enjoy a dam-free winter by taking these steps.
By preventing ice dams, you'll also be making your home more energy-efficient. To learn more about ice dams, contact Russell's Heating & Cooling. We serve the Hampton Roads area of Southeast Virginia. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about TOPIC and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 757-750-1831. Credit/Copyright Attribution: "qimono/Pixabay”