The sun is out the temperatures are climbing above the melting point (freezing point if it's coming down). With roughly 50 days left to winter, we have, in some cases literally, a ton of snow on roofs and around buildings.
I know everyone is tired, but to avoid further issues in the next 2/3 of Winter, we need to get outside on days where temps creep over 32 degrees and clean up our roofs, and now the next culprit, the snow around foundations. If you have piles of snow against the foundation of your building or against the outside walls, you should begin to shovel it away or snow blow it or just simply remove it. The same holds true for your roof. The less snow around or on the building, the less apt you are to have water intrusion from the ground into your basements. Breaking up the ice dams by getting some grooves into them and removing snow from the roof as high up as you can will avoid water penetration from the roof structure.
Should you encounter issues with water intrusion into your building, call us to dry it. Failure to dry this out quickly will raise your chances of mold and microbial growth thus subjecting your indoor environment to some poor air quality. Keep working little by little on the nice days, and the bigger problems of severe Winter weather will not be an issue for YOU.
Feel free to check in with our office should you have issues with your building with regard to water, soot, odors, etc.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
After The Storm
Well, we finally hit "the jackpot" with regard to a "real snowstorm". Most people in the area have and continue to dig out from yesterday's Nor'easter that dumped nearly, and in some cases, more than two feet of snow on the area.
We are all physically and maybe mentally tired after digging out, but let's not think that we are done with our work. I point this article in the direction of our Real Estate, Property Manager and Insurance Colleagues who are responsible in one way, shape or form for houses in particular. Many of us have experienced ICE DAMMING on a roof in the past. It has been a while since we have experienced big snow, so let's run down ICE DAMS just a little.
ICE DAMS occur when snow at the higher portion of the roof begins to melt (many times because of poor insulation) from the conduction of heat from the house. The melted snow then passes under the snow on the roof and when it hits the colder portion of the roof (the soffit) at the bottom, it refreezes forming ice that was once snow. As water continues to travel down the roof, the layer of ice gets thicker and thicker until eventually the entire soffit end of the roof is a two foot thick block of ice (in the case of this weeks snow). The water continues to build behind the ice dam, however, and backs up the roof eventually backing up under the shingles and seeping into the roof, attic and eventually down the insides of the walls and ceilings within the structure. This will not picked up upon until eventually a puddle appears or dripping takes place. Now there are some serious issues.
As a result of this intrusion of water, wall, ceiling and floor cavities will need to be dried in a quick fashion, (hidden water is even worse), otherwise the structural integrity will be jeopardized and there will be an opportunity to support mold and other microbial growth. At this point you or your clients will need to call a roofer and a remediation company that specializes in water damage assessment and mitigation. The cost has now increased in order to protect the home or restore it to it's pre-loss condition.
We can help prevent a major loss by simply calling our office. We can provide you with information on ICE DAMS as well as assist in drying structure and restoring once the damage has occurred. ICE DAMS should also be dealt with by a roofer or contractor once they have formed. You can easily do more harm than good or be seriously injured or worse by "DOING IT YOURSELF" to save some money.
A ROOF RAKE is a great investment to make to prevent ICE DAMMING on a roof in the first place. By cleaning the roof above the soffits or approximately THREE FEET up the roof with a roof rake, you will vastly improve your chances of avoiding water intrusion through your roof as a result of ICE DAMS. These can be purchased at most home improvement centers for less than $50.00 and allow you to clear your roof from ground level. A major note of caution is to watch overhead power lines when using your roof rake.
I typically rake my roof after any depth of snow over four inches or so, just to ensure that there is no build up over time of ice and snow on the edges of my roof.
In closing - raking your roof as soon as you can after a snowfall is vital. In the event that ice dams form, there are a couple of things you can do to rectify the problem. First it is recommended that you get an experienced roofer on board to take care of it. Secondly, you can chop grooves in the ice to relieve the water above the dam, you can also install some heater cables onto your roof and melt some grooves into the ice. This will take some time, but it does work. Caution must be exercised when on a ladder in snow and ice situations (like I had to say THAT, huh?), also do NOT use rock salt, ice melt, an axe or blow torch, as you could SERIOUSLY damage your roof or your entire house.
Servpro of Hampshire County and Shrewsbury/Grafton can supply you with more information on ICE DAMS. You can reach us at 413-589-8975 or 508-393-7898. Until next time, be safe, stay dry and warm.
We are all physically and maybe mentally tired after digging out, but let's not think that we are done with our work. I point this article in the direction of our Real Estate, Property Manager and Insurance Colleagues who are responsible in one way, shape or form for houses in particular. Many of us have experienced ICE DAMMING on a roof in the past. It has been a while since we have experienced big snow, so let's run down ICE DAMS just a little.
ICE DAMS occur when snow at the higher portion of the roof begins to melt (many times because of poor insulation) from the conduction of heat from the house. The melted snow then passes under the snow on the roof and when it hits the colder portion of the roof (the soffit) at the bottom, it refreezes forming ice that was once snow. As water continues to travel down the roof, the layer of ice gets thicker and thicker until eventually the entire soffit end of the roof is a two foot thick block of ice (in the case of this weeks snow). The water continues to build behind the ice dam, however, and backs up the roof eventually backing up under the shingles and seeping into the roof, attic and eventually down the insides of the walls and ceilings within the structure. This will not picked up upon until eventually a puddle appears or dripping takes place. Now there are some serious issues.
As a result of this intrusion of water, wall, ceiling and floor cavities will need to be dried in a quick fashion, (hidden water is even worse), otherwise the structural integrity will be jeopardized and there will be an opportunity to support mold and other microbial growth. At this point you or your clients will need to call a roofer and a remediation company that specializes in water damage assessment and mitigation. The cost has now increased in order to protect the home or restore it to it's pre-loss condition.
We can help prevent a major loss by simply calling our office. We can provide you with information on ICE DAMS as well as assist in drying structure and restoring once the damage has occurred. ICE DAMS should also be dealt with by a roofer or contractor once they have formed. You can easily do more harm than good or be seriously injured or worse by "DOING IT YOURSELF" to save some money.
A ROOF RAKE is a great investment to make to prevent ICE DAMMING on a roof in the first place. By cleaning the roof above the soffits or approximately THREE FEET up the roof with a roof rake, you will vastly improve your chances of avoiding water intrusion through your roof as a result of ICE DAMS. These can be purchased at most home improvement centers for less than $50.00 and allow you to clear your roof from ground level. A major note of caution is to watch overhead power lines when using your roof rake.
I typically rake my roof after any depth of snow over four inches or so, just to ensure that there is no build up over time of ice and snow on the edges of my roof.
In closing - raking your roof as soon as you can after a snowfall is vital. In the event that ice dams form, there are a couple of things you can do to rectify the problem. First it is recommended that you get an experienced roofer on board to take care of it. Secondly, you can chop grooves in the ice to relieve the water above the dam, you can also install some heater cables onto your roof and melt some grooves into the ice. This will take some time, but it does work. Caution must be exercised when on a ladder in snow and ice situations (like I had to say THAT, huh?), also do NOT use rock salt, ice melt, an axe or blow torch, as you could SERIOUSLY damage your roof or your entire house.
Servpro of Hampshire County and Shrewsbury/Grafton can supply you with more information on ICE DAMS. You can reach us at 413-589-8975 or 508-393-7898. Until next time, be safe, stay dry and warm.
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