Cause Of Icicles On Roof

Leaks due to ice damming occur usually after a considerable ice dam has formed and the temperatures warm up creating a large pool of water behind the ice.

Cause of icicles on roof.

Every inch of snow that accumulates on the roof insulates the roof deck a little more. If the temperature in the attic is above freezing it warms the roof sheathing which melts the snow lying on the shingles. Aside from that large icicles can cause serious injuries if ever they break off and hit people below. House air leakage into from the attic through thermal bypasses.

It s this very melting and refreezing process that causes ice dams in the first place. Firstly it s important not to confuse ice damming and icicles. So what causes these icicles to form on your roof. The melted water then flows down to another part of the roof that is cooler usually the overhang and eaves and the water freezes.

Ice dams form along the roof s edge usually above the overhang. Thick ridges of solid ice that build up along the eaves. Icicles hanging along the eaves of your house may look beautiful but they spell trouble. Heat and warm air leaking from the living space below melt the snow which trickles down to the colder edge of the roof above the eaves and refreezes.

This is throwing energy at a problem caused by energy loss which is a major pet peeve of mine. They are two different issues and ice damming on roofs is very different from icicles. Ice damming usually occurs when there is a significant amount of snow on the roof. The cause of ice damming is very simple.

While these icicles may seem like cute roof decorations these are signs that you have roof problems. Horror put up roof and gutter heat cables to melt the icicles. That s because the same conditions that allow icicles to form snow covered roofs and freezing weather also lead to ice dams. Basically icicles can be found on houses where there is improper ventilation and insulation along the roof area.

What causes icicles to form on a roof. Icicles don t always mean ice dams. Small icicles are a normal part of life as a homeowner in west michigan so you don t necessarily need to be worried but you do need to pay attention and make sure no larger problems may be present. But they do mean snow is melting on your roof and that some of the runoff is freezing into icicles as it trickles off the edge of your roof.

Icicles caused by many different reasons. If you have an older home it s important to keep your insulation and ventilation up to date. Icicles influenced by the structure of the house weather conditions and the color of your roof.