The winter cycle of freezing and thawing can cause a lot of damage in places where large volumes of snow collect. One of the most vulnerable targets impacted by that vicious cycle of winter weather is your roof and the shingles meant to protect it.
According to the roofing experts at WM Green Roofing, this year’s harsh winter conditions have given risen to a high percentage of ice dams forming along the edges of residential roofs. An ice dam can occur when heavy snow melts and freezes in your eavestrough; as more snow falls, melts, and freezes, ice build up can cause severe damage to not only your shingles but also the supportive plywood underneath.
“We’ve been dealing with ice dam issues all winter,” said Jesse McLeod of WM Green Roofing. “It’s been a wild winter for it. This year was the worst we’ve ever seen. We’ve had hundreds of calls coming in to have ice dams removed or alleviated in some fashion.”
To mitigate the problem, the WM Green team has been deploying a number of tactics to help homeowners, from simply shovelling off large accumulations of snow, laying down calcium to melt snow, and even installing heating cables along the roof edges as a preventative way to keep ice dams from forming. It’s all part of an ongoing effort to educate people to be aware of problems that could arise with their roof as a result of winter weather.
“We’re also suggesting to people who have had these problems in the past few weeks to have someone check their roof,” said McLeod. “It happens a lot with a freeze and thaw situation. Ice could be backing up underneath the shingles and can affect the roof itself. It’s a good idea to have the roof inspected, ensure the trough is not damaged, and that the shingles are sealed down and still performing. It could be a simple fix that requires replacing only a few shingles along the edge.”
Regardless of the formation of ice dams, spring is a good time to have a professional inspect your roof. McLeod says the cycle of bad weather this winter is cause for concern to people with aging shingles.
“It’s really a good time for an inspection. It’s piece of mind for some people. You don’t often look up at your roof if it’s not leaking, but once you’re up there you do notice a lot. All this melting snow brings water with it. Sometimes the water in your trough is still frozen. If there’s water flowing down your roof and you get freezing temperatures at night there’s risk of damage to your roof.”
As part of a new roof installation, McLeod said WM Green roofing applies a waterproof underlay under the shingles, which adds another layer of protection to keep any water from reaching the area under your shingles. The company offers a Spring Maintenance Package to repair any damage that may have occurred over the winter.
Help extend the life of your asphalt shingle roof. For more information, drop into Wm. Green Roofing at 45 Dawson Road, Guelph. Or visit them online.