As a Minnesota homeowner, you are likely to understand the basics of ice dam problems. It only takes one winter of owning a home in our cold climate to become aware of issues that can occur from ice dams. One preventive method is trying to reduce the amount of snow on your roof through shoveling or raking your roof. While this can be effective, it can also have its own hazards. Not only can it be risky in terms of injury, it can create bigger ice dam problems in the form of a double dam.
What Is a Double Dam?
The typical ice dam occurs at the edge of the roof at the eave. The snow on the roof melts slightly, then refreezes, creating the ice dam. While this can cause many issues and needs removal, it is limited to a small portion of the roof. A more precarious situation is when a double dam occurs, creating two ice dams on your roof over a larger portion.
Often when a homeowner shovels or rakes their roof to remove snow, not all the snow can be reached. Using a roof rake from the edge of the roof may only remove the snow on the lower portion. When this is done, there can still be snow left on the higher level, creating a possibility of a double dam. As the snow melts at the higher level, the water trickles down over the cleared portion of the roof, freezing into a sheet of ice. A dam can form at the edge of the snow higher on the roof, with the thinner layer spreading to the eave. Another typical ice dam can form at the eave, creating the double dam. Now there are two areas of pressure that can cause leaks and damage, plus a larger area of ice that needs removal.
Although it may sound odd, removing only some of the snow on your roof through shoveling or raking can cause worse issues than removing none. At least the ice dams that form will only be in one place, making them quicker and easier to remove.
Our team at RTD Ice Dam Removal can quickly and safely remove all types of ice dams, protecting your home from further damage. Call us at (877) 687-3639 if you have ice dam issues in the Twin Cities area, and let us provide you with efficient and effective relief from your roof snow and ice problems.
