What Causes Ice Dams in Park City?

If you live in Park City, the chances are high that you have had to deal with ice dams forming on your home at some point. Ice dams can cause severe damage to homes and people if not properly taken care of.

In this article, we will look at how ice dams form in Park City to help get you more educated about your home.

What is an Ice Dam

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof.

Ice dams are found in the valley’s and eaves of a home's roof and can extend down to the ground. Ice dams can grow to weigh thousands of pounds and can pose severe threats to homes and people.

How Do Ice Dams Form?

Ice dams form from a complex interaction between the amount of heat loss from your home, the outside temperature, and snow cover.

For ice dams to form, you need there to be snow on a roof, the outside temperature must be below 32 degrees F on average, and the higher portions of your roof must be above 32 degrees F.

When these three factors happen in harmony over sustained periods, ice dams form.

As the snow on your roof begins to melt at the top where the surface temperature is above 32 degrees F, it melts to the bottom of the roof that is below 32 degrees and freezes.

This happens because heat rises, and your home is losing heat through the roof. This causes the areas above your living area to heat up while the eaves or edges of your roof that extend beyond the indoor living area to maintain the outdoor temperature.

As this happens over and over, the ice dam builds in size, and the potential dangers grow.

The Dangers Of Ice Dams

Ice dams are dangers not only for your home but for your well being and your family’s well being as well. Ice dams can grow to weigh multiple hundred of pounds and can break off of a home without warning.

Ice dams will cause damage to the roof of a home because the ice will find its way behind your roofing material and expand when it freezes. This can cause serious leaks that can cause interior damage to your home.

If an ice dam breaks off, it can break windows and damage siding as well. We have dealt with many cases of ice dams breaking off of a roof and shattering windows.

Conclusion

Ice dams are a common problem in Park City that most homeowners have to deal with. Ice dams form because of a unique thawing and freezing process that occurs on the roof of a home. As the snow on your roof begins to melt at the top where the surface temperature is above 32 degrees F, it melts to the bottom of the roof that is below 32 degrees and freezes.

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3 Ways To Prevent Ice Dams in Park City