BUFFALO, N.Y. — Since we got some substantial snowfall last week a lot of homes in Western New York have all that snow and ice which has built up on the roofs. And now throw some melting into the mix later this week with some warming temperatures. That may unfortunately cause some home interior leaking problems.
2 On Your Side spoke with some roofing experts about what you may consider now and eventually for a future fix.
We could be in store for something called ice dams forming. That is basically a shelf of slushy ice that forms near the edge of the roof at the gutter and then it can freeze over with water behind it..
And Anatoly Aponchuk, co-owner of Ava Roofing says that that can eventually seep into the interior of a home. Once it gets past the shingles it goes into your house. So first it will get into your insulation and slowly it'll seep right into your drywall."
That is why, if possible, you may want to clear off some of it from the roof.
Some people may try shoveling it off which is rather dangerous for the average homeowner and even for some roofing contractors who could face safety issues with OSHA.
Also pounding or hacking at the ice could ultimately damage a roof if you don't know what you're doing.
That's why one local contractor suggests first trying to use a roof rake if possible to clear off what you can from the ground. roof. It is not so easy for a two-story home so contractors can be hired to do it.
There is also the use of steam to clear out gutters and some portions of the roof which is becoming more popular with the specialized equipment.
Bill Spahn of Buffalo Ice Dam Steaming says, "We can remove the ice and snow immediately right down to bare shingles. We can clear the gutters and downspouts right down to the shingles again with no damage whatsoever."
Now if you do see icicles or you're not sure about the condition of your roof, you can check things out in the attic.
"I would say if you're a homeowner and you're dealing with ice dam issues and you've never had a contractor come out to inspect your attic, it's time to do it. Especially when it's this cold out by going to the attic - or you can even as a homeowner yourself go in the attic - and look at your plywood or roof deck. And see if you can notice any frost on your deck, on your wood in the attic. If you see that that's a great sign of heat loss and moisture buildup in the attic," Aponchuk says.
You may eventually want to look at the insulation and ventilation for the attic even with roof baffles and actual vents to better improve the airflow up there and protect the roof a bit better. Contractors again can give suggestions on that.
If you do have ice dam damage inside, some homeowner insurance policies may cover it or they may not. So you have to check your policy with your agent.