Upholding the roof of your house is the first and perhaps most important step to protecting for the long-term life of any home. Roof leaks are without a doubt a great problem in any home but knowing the relationship between melting snow and roof leaks can help the homeowner prevent one of the key problems that many houses face. When snow melts and flows down the roof it may refreeze as it reaches the edge of the roof and into gutter. You’ve probably stood back and look with admiration at these ice dams that form, but these can surprisingly create havoc on the integrity of your roof. However, they are relatively easy to prevent and doing so will surely save you money and despair in the future.

How ice dams form.

The heat from your house melts the snow on the top of your roof because this is the warmest area of your roof. As the melted snow trickles down the roof under the snow it then reaches the edge of the rooftop, which is close to sub zero temperature; this plunge in temperature causes the melted snow to refreeze forming the dams that you often see hanging down from people’s houses in winter. The weight of these dams can cause a dilemma itself, however, the real problem occurs when extra melting snow collects in pools alongside the dams. This water eventually leaks through the roof and into the building. Understanding this relationship better melting snow and roof leaks can be the first step to preventing it.

Protection for the consumable parts of your roof.

In most cases you can use a rubber casing that is attached directly to the roof and the shingles are then added on top. The casing is essentially self-healing so the rubber will seal around the nail holes generated when attaching the shingles. This means that the vulnerable areas of your roof will be sealed in the event of ice dams form. This can be an effective way to control melting snow and roof leaks in older roofs that are not being replaced.

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