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Heavy, Wet Snow on Roofs: What You Need To Know

Winter is here and Spring is around the corner and with its arrival comes greater chances of heavy, wet snow. While a blanket of snow may look picturesque, it can cause serious damage to your home or bodily harm.

Why is heavy, wet snow dangerous for roofs?

The weight of heavy, wet snow is the biggest concern for roofs. As the snow accumulates on your roof, the weight can build up quickly. In the Spring when the snow is wet and heavy, it can put a lot of stress on your roof structure. This can cause the roof line to sag or even collapse. which is a serious safety hazard and will cause costly repairs.

In addition, heavy, wet snow can cause damage to your gutters, shingles, and other roofing materials. When snow melts, it can seep into cracks and crevices, causing water damage to your roof and even making its way into your home. This is what we refer to in roofing as ice dams. Ice damming occurs when snow on the roof melts and refreezes at the edge of the roof. This can cause water to back up and seep into the home through the roof or soffits, leading to water damage. For more about preventing ice dams check out our Ice Dams blog: https://www.excelroofing.com/ice-dams-how-to-prevent-ice-dams-protect-your-roof/

Safety

Heavy, wet snow is not only dangerous for your homes’ health, but also your personal health. Every year people die or are severely injured from snow falling off roofs. Metal roofs are particularly dangerous. Heavy, wet snow easily slides off metal roofs due to no friction between the roof and the snow. Snow guards are highly recommended by Excel Roofing for metal roofs in areas that receive a lot of snow.

What can you do to prevent heavy, wet snow damage to your roof?

Clearing snow off your roof can help reduce the risk of damage. You can use a snow rake to remove snow from your roof or hire Excel Roofing to do the job for you. Excel Roofing does not recommend getting on your roof with snow or ice present.
Snow guards are most common for tile, metal, and composite roofs but can be installed on steep asphalt roofs. The guards are installed to create friction and keep the snow on your roof until is safely melts. Heat cable is installed on all roof types. The heat cable will melt the snow and ice where it builds up which reduces strain on the roof structure.

Regular roof maintenance, such as cleaning gutters and checking for damage, can prevent ice dams from forming and mitigate future damage. This is especially important if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow. Keep an eye out for any signs of sagging or cracking and act immediately if you notice any problems. Click HERE for a free roof inspection.

By taking these steps, you can help keep your roof in top condition and protect your home from heavy, wet snow damage. Call Excel Roofing for any roofing questions and concerns. 303.761.6400

Ice Dams: How To Prevent Ice Dams & Protect Your Roof

Every year when snow begins to fall and we experience sub-freezing temps in Denver, we start to get calls from concerned customers about ice dams. It happens like clockwork, and we are there to answer the call and help.

How Ice Dams Form

Ice dams are formed by snow when the temperatures fluctuate between the days and nights during winter. The snow on the roofs will melt during the day and start to drip off the roof and into the gutters. Once the sun goes down the melted snow will freeze and turn to ice overnight creating a barrier and/or icicle on the edge of the roof. North facing parts of roofs in Colorado are more likely to have ice dams because this side of the house receives the least amount of sunlight throughout the day.

Ice dams can be dangerous and damage your roof

Poorly insulated attic space can also lead to the formation of ice dams. The lack of attic insulation will cause the snow to melt faster off the top portion of the roof where the radiant heat escaping from the home collects. The snow then melts slower once it reaches the lower edge of the roof where the radiant heat from the living space is less. Once the snow builds up enough in this areas the snow and water refreeze over and over. The water freezes under the shingles and when it starts to melt again it drips into the soffit and even directly into the home. If a home has bad ice dams, they usually also experience icicles that can cause damage to the facia, soffit, and siding.

Another example of ice dam damage to the roof

Homes with multiple levels and dimensions can be more prone to ice dams. We often find ice dams in valleys of roofs where two faces meet and water drains off. Because of this these areas can be the most problematic. The melted water moves down the roof valley to the gutters (most of the time this drainage point is an inside corner) if the drainage is not adequate large ice build ups form. In extreme cases fascia and soffit can be completely separated and must be repaired or replaced.

What not to do

Excel Roofing has seen many DIY fixes to ice dams, and they do not solve your issue. We’ve heard stories of customers using hot water, ice melt, and torches. While doing this helps speed up the melting process, it will not melt the entire ice dam and will not solve the issue going forward. Ice dams will continue to form if a permanent solution is not installed. There is no quick fix to getting rid of ice dams other than climbing on the roof and chipping the ice away. However, that is extremely dangerous. Let’s leave it to the pros: Excel Roofing.

Ways to protect your roof with ice dams

Ice and water shield is required by building codes in most cities, counties and jurisdictions in Colorado and Wyoming. With proper installation, ice and water shield can help protect your roof from leaks caused by ice dams. When installing the ice and water shield code demands that it be installed 24 inches beyond the heated wall. Ice dams can melt overtime and cause water to get underneath the shingles and into the home. This is your best line of defense from preventing damage. Excel recommends every house have Ice and Water Shield installed on the eaves even if it is not required by the code and as a rule, we do install it in every roof valley on all projects.

Excel also recommends making sure your house is properly insulated and ventilated. This adds many benefits to your home not just helping with ice dams. Proper insulation and ventilation is integral to the roof system as a whole and will help with maintaining the proper ambient temperature during all seasons. Please see our blog post here for more info: https://www.excelroofing.com/attic-ventilation/

Heat Cable

Heat cable is Excel Roofing’s best solution to ice dams. Heat cable is installed directly on the roof close to the eaves. It is installed in a zigzag pattern approximately two feet up the roof, and through the gutters and downspouts to help prevent ice from freezing there as well. If you are having ice damning issues on your home please call us. We would be more than happy to give you a free estimate to install the ice melting system that is right for your property.

YouTube Link:
Check out our YouTube channel for a video about ice dams and heat cable from the owner J Bretz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIgGxW8MMkY