We knew it would happen, winter returned with a vengeance over the last couple of weeks after almost a month of no snow. The current NOAA forecast is calling for more weather on Tuesday into Wed with a mixture of rain and snow. Get ready for some Sierra Cement to cover up all that powder.
Mark wanted all of our clients to be aware of potential ice dam issues caused by the weather. When the house gets nice and warm the warm ceilings gradually become a little warm from the outside too. But the snow and ice on the outside leads to a layer of ice in direct contact with the warm ceiling which melts and turns into water. This water then flows towards the slope so that it is drained off. When this flowing water reaches the edge of the slope it again encounters freezing temperature and freezes. This in turn entraps the rest of the water underneath the sheet of snow. You end up with a dam of water and ice under the snow. Gradually, since this water has no outlet, it seeps into the house and can damage the ceiling, walls, gutter and the attic etc.
As much as we would like, we can’t make it by everyone’s house to check and see if you have any potential ice dam issues. Given the potential freeze-thaw issues, we would like to remind you to make sure your Bylin or heat tape system is turned on. If you are up in the area, take a quick look around for any large ice formations coming off the roof. If you notice something that isn’t quite right, give our office a call an we will make arrangements for one of our guys to check in or put you in touch with our roofing contractor, Eckard Roofing.