Roof Maintenance

What’s causing my roof leak?rnWhen most people think about a leaky roof, they imagine an old, worn down roof with cracked and missing shingles. It’s not hard to imagine how water is getting through a roof like that. But what if you have a newer roof and your shingles are in good condition? You may be surprised to see water dripping from your ceiling if you’ve been vigilant about keeping your roof in good condition. One of the most common causes of roofing leaks during the winter doesn’t actually have anything to do with your roof. Ice dams are the reason behind many roof leaks. Ice dams are the result of snow melting on your roof and refreezing when they get to your rain gutters. When the ice accumulates in the rain gutters, the melting snow has nowhere to go and it ends up being forced beneath the shingles. Keeping ice dams from forming in your rain gutters is crucial to avoiding roof leaks during the winter.rnTips for taking care of an ice damrnIn almost all cases, ice dams are completely avoidable. The root cause of ice dams is almost always inadequate insulation in the attic space. By redoing your attic’s insulation you will keep the warm air inside your home from getting into your attic and melting the snow on your roof. The quickest way to check if your insulation is to blame is to take a look at the other homes in your neighborhood. If yours is one of the only ones with no snow on the roof, that tells you that it’s still too cold for the snow to melt and your insulation is to blame for the prematurely melting snow.rnThough less common, ice dams can also be the result of drastically fluctuating temperatures. A warm spell can cause the snow to melt rapidly and a subsequent cold spell can refreeze that melting snow. Whatever the root cause, you will want to get rid of the ice dams before water finds its way into your home. Resist the urge to chip away at the ice dam as this can damage your shingles and rain gutter. Instead melt the dams using hot water. Avoid using ice melt products unless you’re absolutely sure that they won’t damage your roofing materials.rnHome improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.comrnSource: wkyc.com/story/news/local/2015/02/06/ice-build-ups-on-roof-cause-homeowner-concerns/23022315/