As an Omaha Roofing Company, we understand the importance of taking care of your main security item; your home. With the winter storm predictions looking severe we want to cover the topic of roof ventilation again because of timing. With a winter snow storm upon us it is important for you to understand an event (Ice Damning) that could come down upon you shortly. With this snow storm impacting Omaha and surrounding areas, shoveling your driveway will not be the only thing added to your to-do list. During the winter we rarely give our roofs the special time and attention needed as it can get a bit chilly standing outside looking up. We wrote about ice damning in a previous blog article but didn’t get the opportunity to explain all the different ways that ice damning can happen on your house. With the possibility of 8″ or more of snow fall, Nebraska and Iowa residents could be set up to suffer from ice damning.
What can you do to stop ice damning
You have to understand a few key components that could lead to water and “leak” problems from this snowfall. If you receive 8″ plus of snow on your roof and it is able to sit on the Omaha roof and not blow off it could cause your roof’s exhaust vents to become covered with snow which will not allow your attic to ventilate properly. If this occurs it could be at the top of your list of leak problems on the roof. If these vents are covered in snow and cannot allow the air inside your attic to escape it will allow the temperature of your attic to increase. The rate that happens vary from one house to another because of many reasons: insulation inside your attic, the temperature you keep your thermostat in the house, the efficiency of your furnace, etc. To put it in simpler terms, the heat of your house will escape into your attic and because the roof (exhaust) vents are covered by snow, the heat cannot escape. This can warm your attic to a temperature that melts the snow on your roof.
Stop the immediate source of ice damning
The problem with snow melting off the roof is that it will eventually get to an overhang that is much colder and allowed to freeze again. The result of these events is “Ice damning”. As an Omaha Roofing Expert, we discussed what ice damning is in our previous blog and felt it was important to write more about a particular way it can begin. Hence the purpose of this blog today. Referring to a large amount of snow fall we may see from this upcoming storm there isn’t anything you or we can do long term at the moment. The advice we can give you now is short term. Take a look at your roof after any large snowfall. If your vents are covered in snow, you will need to uncover them. You can do this by using a roof snow rake which can be purchased at a local hardware store if you beat the crazed demand that the snow storm will cause. The idea behind the rake is to get the snow off the roof and also to get the snow off the vents at the top of the roof to allow the warm air inside the attic to escape (exhaust). This can stop the process of snow melting on the roof due to a warm attic.
Stop the long term source of ice damning
If you manage to successfully remove the snow from the vents and roof you will stop the problem…….this time. The bigger lesson is to understand the importance of attic and roof ventilation and how you can save money and big headaches down the road every time weather events like this occur. Read our recent blogs for more information and to understand the importance of properly ventilated roofs. Call Husker Siding Windows & Roofing (An Omaha Roofing Company) today for a free Omaha Roof System Assessment which includes an assessment of your roofs ventilation: (402) 894-9525.
