Ice Dam On Low Slope Roof

Ice dams can cause very serious and expensive to fix problems and are usually caused by improper ventilation of your attic space and inadequate insulation of your roof.

Ice dam on low slope roof. Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position. How should ice and water protector be installed on a roof. A 4 12 roof slope means the roof rises 4 feet for every 12 feet of horizontal roof span.

15 felt underlayment as shown in figure 2 3above. Ice dams prevention ventilation of low slope roofs. Roof slopes between 2 12 and 4 12 can use shingles but require roof application techniques to take into account a greater potential for ice dam water backup. Water leaks in the attic.

Most likely the first notice you will see of a snow or ice related roof leak will be water dripping from a ceiling or a puddle on the floor. This only occurs when part of your roof warms to above 32 degrees f warm enough to melt the snow while the roof edge remains below freezing. These photos and comments describe the diagnosis and cure of roof ice dam leakage occurring on a low slope epdm covered roof in a new york home. Ice dams may seem harmless at first but they are known to cause thousands of dollars in roof leaks structural damages and repairs of your home.

Rise of the roof to the horizontal run and is expressed as a fraction. The lower slope also allows any ice dam that does develop to climb higher up the roof. Damage to the interior walls. Ice dams are a sign of heat loss in the attic and this lost heat is money you throw out the window.

While there may be a small risk proper ventilation is vital in the prevention of ice dams and the protection of your roofing system. With slopes from 2 12 to 4 12 use a double layer of no. That s what we found at the home shown at left. Fill the leg of discarded pair of panty hose with a calcium chloride ice melter.

In areas where the risk of either ice dams or wind driven rain is severe it is sometimes recommended or mandatory to install ice and water protector over the entire roof regardless of pitch. Curved or cracked shingles. The areas in question are a low slope roof 3 12 pitch east west side of the ridge and a cathedral style roof 8 12 pitch inside the home there is a sloping ceiling that is covered by drywall. Each winter i have to deal with ice damming along 2 sides of the roof no where else.

If you wish to get rid of ice dams on your roof you must adhere to the following. Preventing ice dams on roofs. Ice dams and icicles form when the snow melts runs down your roof and refreezes near the edge. 15 underlayment as shown.

This scenario is often the result of a warm attic. For low slope roofs in cold climates where ice dams and ice dam leaks are likely bliss recommends a double layer of no.