Ice dams can be a huge pain during the wintertime, especially during the New England winters. With snow on its way, it is important to be able to identify, remove and ultimately prevent ice dams, with the help of someone experienced with roofing.

So, What is an Ice Dam?

An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof during the winter. It forms by starting as a layer of snow. During the warmer hours of the day, or due to bad insulation in a home, the snow underneath heats up and creates a pool of water. This pool of water ultimately runs down the roof and then refreezes when it reaches the colder roof’s edge, which forms a mound of ice near where your gutter should be. This ice dam can cause a lot of damage, to the interior and exterior of the home, as well as the gutters and downspout.

Damage of Ice Dams

Ice dams can cause many issues, as mentioned above. These include wet and stained ceiling walls, as well as peeling paint and internal rot to the structure of your home. If one falls off of the side of your roof, there is a chance that it could take the gutters and downspouts with it, while also destroying anything that it hits on its way down, including people, pets, and landscaping.

How to Remove Ice Dams

Removing ice dams is a bit of a failsafe, as they should always be avoided at all costs, but there are a few things you can do to fix the problem once it is in front of you, but you should always consult with a roofing specialist, as this can be very dangerous.

• Remove by breaking it off with a blunt mallet
• Melt it with a calcium chloride ice melter
• Clear all gutters and downspouts

How to Prevent Ice Dams

• Ventilation of home
• Avoid warm air leaking into attic
• Insulate all living spaces
• Scrape snow from roof

If you need new roofing or need a professional to look at your roofing, feel free to contact us by filling out our contact form or by calling us at 781-899-6353.

Water damage can be detrimental to your roof. It can be caused by a huge array of things, from rain, to hail, to snow, there are so many things that could cause this. These events are naturally occurring and there is no way to prevent water damage from occurring, but there are a few steps you can take to avoid severe water damage costing a lot of money in the future. Let’s look at some of these things.

Shingles: Missing shingles can cause you lots of problems in the future. By replacing them individually, you save yourself the hassle of replacing your entire roof, when you could have put it off a few more years. Acting fast can be a real lifesaver. Making sure you recognize and are constantly giving your roof a quick glance can make your life easier in the long run.

Pools of Water: Seeing pools of water can be a sign that your roof is about to incur some water damage. Making sure that these are taken care of and cleaned up before they have a chance to sink in is huge and can save you lots of money in the short and long term.

Gutters: Making sure your gutters are cleaned and properly taken care of can be a huge help, as it does not allow for the water to build up and cause issues.

Attic: The attic ceiling will most likely be the first sign that your roof has water damage. By monitoring this area, you can have a better sense of what you are getting yourself into, as well as how much damage there actually is. Keeping this room well-ventilated can be very helpful when trying to avoid water damage.

Snow: Like water pooling, it is important to remove any ice dam buildup during heavy snow seasons. In New England, we typically experience a lot of this, and therefore it is a good reminder.

If you need new roofing, or need a professional to look at your roofing, feel free to contact us by filling out our contact form or by calling us at 781-899-6353.

It can be difficult to gauge when to replace your roofing, as many times the damage can be fixed with a few minor fixes. However, there are a few ways that you can determine whether you need to replace your entire roof, or not. Let’s look at some of these items.

Check your attic: The attic will be the first place you notice anything. If there is any sunlight at all in the room, or if it is not properly ventilated, you will need to replace the roof. A way to avoid this is by making sure your attic is properly ventilated, as well as properly insulated. The attic can reach about double the temperature as the inside of your home if not properly ventilated, and this can cause roofing problems.

Age of the Roof: Roofs can last between 20 and 25 years, so they should be checked consistently every few years, to be sure, and then have a thorough inspection at the 20-year mark.

Rot and Damage: Rot and damage to a home can be detrimental if they are not taken care of. Water damage, especially, can be a huge issue for many homes. This also relates to damage from winter snow and ice, which causes massive problems if not fixed right away. This kind of damage can make the roofing structure cave in on itself and potentially collapse, leaving your home vulnerable to many things, such as water flooding, animals, etc.

Plants: If there are plants growing on your roof, or to be more specific, moss, fungi, and other frequent elements, this is a sign that the roofing structure may be compromised. If you frequently remove these, then you will have no problem, but letting this grow and expand can really cause problems for the future.

If you need a new roof or need a professional to take a look at your roof, feel free to contact us by filling out our contact form or by calling us at 781-899-6353.