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The winter months can be tough on your roof, especially if you live in extremely cold climates like Canada. Many problems can occur during the height of the winter, which means that as soon as winter is over it’s important to check for any issues. Once these problems are identified, you can have them fixed right away instead of waiting too long. Otherwise, a simple roof issue can become expensive to fix.
When warm air hits cold surfaces, condensation forms. If your attic isn’t properly insulated, it becomes a target for condensation, leading to other problems like mold and mildew, which will damage your home’s internal structure.
During sunny days and freezing temperatures, icicles form. The sun melts the snow on the roof, but the cold temperatures refreeze the droplets before they fall. Long icicles are dangerous to both people as well as their pets. Heavy ones can also damage the gutters. To prevent icicles from growing, gutters should be kept clear of debris like leaves and twigs.
Ice dams are a common roof problem during winter. Ice dams occur when water and ice accumulate on the roof as well as beneath the shingles. When temperatures are above-freezing and the lower areas are beneath freezing temperatures, this makes the roof prime for developing ice dams.
Snow that melts from the upper areas of the roof (which are warmer) flows down and freezes again on the lower areas (which are colder). This is why it’s common to see ice dams in roofs and gutters. When water backs up on the dam, it can leak through cracks and cause damage on the roof exterior. Ice dams can potentially cause serious water damage to homes, but the chances of this happening can be minimized by making sure that the roof is properly insulated and that the attic has a proper ventilation system in place.