Here is the most recent National Weather Forecast for our area of the country:
Probabilistic Snow Forecasts. Heavy lake effect snow continues downwind of the Great Lakes resulting in difficult travel conditions. Meanwhile, colder air is sliding southward toward the Southeast portions of the country where freeze warnings are in effect. Air stagnation concerns linger for the interior Pacific Northwest. A low-pressure area developing near Hawaii may bring heavy rainfall and flooding through mid-week.
Freezing Pipes. Admittedly, “probabilistic” is a new word for me! But certainly appropriate. After the cold and snow blows through our area, disasters often result. When extreme temperatures hit our area, owners often face thousands of dollars of water damage to homes and offices. In many cases, the cause of the problem is freezing pipes.
Ice Dams. These are common in our part of the country. They form along the edge of your roof after a snowfall. The problem occurs when heat from the building melts the snow that has accumulated on the roof. The water running off the roof hits the cold edge of the roofline and forms large dams of ice cycles. This block of ice in front of the gutters prevents any drainage. As more melting happens, the water tends to seep between the roof shingles and flow directly into the home or office. The result is water damage and mold growth.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know! OK, that’s rather obvious. But the truth is that ice dams can be rather sneaky. You may not even realize that water is leaking into the attic. Often, as people become aware of the problem, the damage has already been done.
Preventing Ice Dams. There are a few things you can do to help prevent ice dams. One way is to insulate the attic. If you’re considering a new roof in the spring, consider adding a water membrane underneath the roof shingles.
Removing Ice Dams. If you can remove ice dams before damage occurs, you’ve solved your problem. Consider knocking on an ice dam with a rake, or some other instrument. That might be enough to dislodge it. It’s possible that you might be able to cut through the ice dam to let the water drain properly. While you don’t want to use rock salt on your roof, you can try calcium chloride to melt the ice. You can also hire a snow removal contractor to resolve the problem.
Make your winter weather maintenance a priority. A little time now may prevent a disaster later. Even with preparation, our temperatures may still result in a broken or frozen pipe or ice dam that could create a water loss. If that happens, please give us a call at 720-605-2994. We are happy to send our experts out to evaluate your water damage.