Snowstorms continue to punish the Northeast, leaving many in the region wondering what they did to make Mother Nature so angry. As snow continues to accumulate and freeze, many are dealing with the issues caused by the excessive snow, one of those issues being ice dams on their roofs.

If you have long, thick icicles hanging from your roof then there is a good chance you have an ice dam. Ice dams occur at the edge of the roof where a block of ice forms. As the snow on your roof melts from the heat escaping your home or from rising temperatures, the melting snow backs up behind the dam and makes its way underneath your shingles and into your home. The damage from an ice dam can be extensive as the water leaks in and ruins insulation, walls, ceilings, and more.

If you have an ice dam, you should consider having a professional remove it from your roof. This will help stop the flow of water into your home by breaking up the ice which is preventing proper runoff of the melting ice and snow. You should also have the snow shoveled off of your roof to help prevent new ice dams from forming as the snow continues to melt and re-freeze. If you do hire someone to shovel off your roof and remove ice dams, be sure they are licensed and insured. It is very easy to damage a roof while removing snow and ice dams and you do not want to be stuck paying for a new roof this summer because it was damaged by a “professional” over the winter.

Hiring a roofing company or contractor to remove snow and ice dams from your roof can be a bit pricey, but it is cheaper, safer, and less of a headache to pay to remove the snow and ice from your roof rather than deal with the extensive damage that an ice dam can cause.

Do you have any other suggestions for prevent ice dams or other damage from ice and snow?