Icicles Can Be a Sign of a More Serious Issue

HOW DO ICICLES FORM?

Inside a home, the temperature is normally kept around 68-72 degrees. Unless you have a wife who’s always cold, then maybe your house is maybe 73-77 degrees. Or as warm as she can get it without rebellion from the rest of the household.   

So inside the house, there’s a lot of heat and that heat goes up into the attic. Once that heat is in the attic, it starts melting snow on your roof. However, there are eaves on a house that keep the water away from the house. These eaves are a different temperature than the rest of the roof, because there isn’t a heat source below them. When water melts from your roof line and gets to an eave, it starts to ice up, which creates icicles. Icicles are really just that warmer water coming down and freezing again and again, which creates big beautiful icicles. Which actually doesn’t sound that bad.

THE ICY ISSUE

The issue that occurs is that as the ice gets thicker and thicker, it creates a spot where water starts to puddle. These are called ice dams. An ice dam occurs when the already existing frozen icicles on the edge of the house still have water flowing over them and freezing. This causes a thick layer of ice that can trap water behind it. The water then starts going back in behind the shingles and goes into the house.

When this occurs, people will notice issues such as water dripping inside their house or paint sagging in a corner. The water can also go behind walls, where you can’t see, which causes mold damage. When water drips behind the walls, it is not always noticed right away, which gives the water time to do damage.

THE SOLUTION

One solution to stop ice dams from happening is to have heat tape on the roof. Heat tape is a heating cable that actually warms up and provides a pathway for the water to go off of the house. It does not melt everything off the roof, just where it needs to, on the edges of the roofline to help the water drain off.

CALL A PROFESSIONAL

Heat tape is an electrical component and therefore, there are other things to take into consideration when installing it. So, it is best to have an electrician install it on your house so that it is done correctly.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT COMPANY

It’s important to look for a company that is respectable with a good reputation. Keep in mind that the warranty on work is only as good as that company that does it. Choosing a company that has been around a long time usually is a good sign that they will still be there if issues occur.