If you live in an area where snowfall is common, the site of ice dams is not a new concept for you. As you see a heavy snowfall coming, the first thing that makes you worried is the site of residual ice handling from the roof. Hiring an expert gutter cleaning service in Melbourne is the ideal solution to eliminate the ice dams.
Ice dams build when the snow on the roof melts and sticks to the edges of the gutters blocking them and making sharp edges all around the roof. When left untreated, it can not only damage the gutters significantly but also compromise the structural integrity of your house, leading to permanent damages to the entire building. Gutter cleaning company in Melbourne advises handling ice dams as a top priority to eliminate any chances of irreparable damage.
How are ice dams formed?
After the snowfall, when the roof starts gaining back temperature due to external and internal heat and reaches the temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit the snow on the rooftop starts melting. The ice moves towards the edges as it melts but the edges are still cold after the snowfall so the water turns into ice once again.
The attic gets more heat which is transferred to the roof resulting in the thawing of the ice. This high heat despite the freezing temperature outside, can make the ice move and roll down the edges. The cold edges convert this thawed ice into hard once again and as it sticks to the edges, it forms a rim structure. The more ice melts on the roof, the longer rims forms all around the house. While initially these rims can be handled by a novice, there is no chance you can deal with them in a later stage without a professional Gutter Cleaning Company in Mitcham.
How to prevent ice dam formation?
While ice dams start as small pieces of ice hanging from the roof edges, they can attract more melting snow and grow significantly in no time. If left unchecked, they make your roof vulnerable and compromise structural integrity. To prevent ice dam formation, it is best to keep the attic and edges cold. Here are a few ways to maintain cold temperatures on the roof and attic.
Seal the attic bypasses
Any opening that allows warm air leaks into the attic must be sealed off. This includes gaps in drywall, unblocked walls and chimneys, hatch cracks around plumbing pipes, light fixtures, and other ceiling penetrations. This ensures that the temperature in the attic is cold. This is best done at the start of the winter season. You can prevent ice dams and also make your home energy efficient with this technique.
Maintaining appropriate insulation level in the attic
A well-insulated attic must have an R-value of 40 and hence you must ensure that the insulation level of the attic is ideal at all times. The best Gutter Cleaning Company in Mitcham advises you to check the insulation of your house if you have a history of ice dams at your house. Using fiberglass or cellulose for insulation is ideal as they efficiently cover the barriers such as rafters, joists, and other structural members.
Also, it is recommended to hire a professional for the job as one small mistake can cost you big time.
Make vents on the roof and soffit
For ideal ventilation, the size should be at least 1 square ft. per 300 sq. ft. of the ceiling area or the attic’s floor. Proper ventilation ensures that the area has an optimal temperature with hot air getting replaced with cold air from outside. Adding vents to the soffit comes as a great help. You can choose to rebuild the attic and add 8 vents installed on the bottom of the soffit.
Also, adding conventional square-shaped roof vents near the peak further enhances the efficiency of the structure.
Insulate the roof
Adding vents to a certain type of roof can be troublesome. Roofs with low slopes and angled ceilings and no attic are the most complicated from this point of view. In such cases, you must use roof insulation methods.
For houses with an open attic system, it is best to insulate the attic floor. With proper insulation, you can prevent the heat to pass on to the roof, making it warmer for the ice to melt down.
However, as you work on the insulation aspect of the house, make sure you use appliances that support the process and have a proper waste gas dumping system in place.
Rake off the snow
The most common and cost-effective way to prevent ice dams is raking off the snow. The experts offering Gutter cleaning services in Melbourne state that if you remove the snow from the roof after a heavy snowfall, you will never have to worry about melting ice or ice dams. Although the process is tiresome and time-consuming, it offers you a great opportunity to save money, you can always get some helping hands to assist you in the tedious job.
However, if you are doubtful about the integrity of your shingles, you must hire a Gutter guard cleaning service in Melbourne to give you a go-ahead.
What to do if you already have ice dams?
If you already have ice dams or fear that they would build on your roof, here is what you can do:
Professional gutter and Gutter guard cleaning service in Melbourne is the best way to get rid of ice dams easily. The professionals would clean your gutters and check that the downpours are fully functional to drain out the melting ice water.
Rake the roof
Before it starts to melt, rake the roof and take off all the snow.
Melt the ice
You can use products to create heat on the roof and melt the ice manually, this way the ice will convert to water and will drain out the downpours more easily. Calcium chloride is recommended by a trusted gutter cleaning company in Melbourne to instantly melt the ice.
You must always hire a professional Gutter Cleaning Company in Mitcham and insulation service providers to deal with ice dams effectively, the A gutter professionals will not only solve the problem at hand but also offer ways to keep ice dams at bay in the future.
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