Icicles form when water flowing down to the edge of your roof freezes as it drips off the side. Fortunately, having a few icicles is natural and usually won’t cause any harm to your roof. What’s more of a concern is the safety of those entering and exiting your home, as heavy, sharp icicles could break off, fall, and harm someone passing underneath.
However, you should keep an eye out for your roof accumulating a lot of icicles, especially larger ones. Numerous large icicles generally indicate that your roof has poor insulation, which can lead to more serious issues like ice dams.
While an icicle is a cone-shaped piece of ice that hangs from your roof, an ice dam is a large buildup of ice toward the edge of your roof. Both of them are the result of inconsistent rooftop temperatures, which usually stem from these two factors:
Icicles aren’t much of a cause for concern by themselves, but ice dams are. Ice dams can cause serious damage to your home’s roof, gutter, and interior. When the ice dam creates a barrier, blocking melted water from draining off your roof, that water can start to pool and cause problems — from damaging your shingles, to breaking your gutters, to leaking into your home.
If you want to protect your roof from the dangers of winter weather and ice dams, we recommend taking one or more of the following precautionary measures:
If your home has icicles and/or ice dams, don’t try to remove either of them by yourself. Without the right tools and experience, you could end up harming yourself or causing more damage to your roof.
Instead, contact a roofing contractor to get help solving the issue. They’ll be able to remove the icicles and ice dams, repair any damage your roof may have already suffered, and give you some pointers on how to help prevent more damage in the future.
Seeing a lot of icicles this winter? If your roofing insulation is subpar, it puts your roof and your home at risk for potential problems like ice dams and roof leaks. Werner Roofing can help. We’ll assess your roof’s condition and make recommendations for how to boost your roof’s defenses against winter weather. Then, if you’d like, we can complete the necessary repairs quickly and efficiently! Contact our team for your free roof inspection today.
How do you know when it’s time for a new roof? The only way to be sure of your residential roof’s current condition is to have a licensed professional personally inspect it. Werner Roofing is proud to offer free roof inspections for every client, so you can be sure of your roof’s condition. Every Werner Roofing inspection comes complete with our promise: “We won’t recommend or sell a roof replacement unless it’s necessary.”
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