FRIGID FEBRUARY!
O.K., can we continue to complain about the frigid temperatures? YES. According to Vermont weather journals, the month of February is a record breaker. The temperature has not climbed above 32° F, proving that this month is insanely cold. So, continue to charge your boot heaters, wear those face masks, and buy another box of hand warmers. You will need them as we step into March.
Because of this crazy cold, the Sunrise Village is experiencing a large number of ice dams at many of the condo units. What is an ice dam? How does it form? Below is an informative article and diagram of an ice dam.
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. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas. See diagram.
WHAT CAUSES ICE DAMS?
There is a complex interaction among the amount of heat loss from a house, snow cover, and outside temperatures that leads to ice dam formation. For ice dams to form there must be snow on the roof, and, at the same time, higher portions of the roof’s outside surface must be above 32°F while lower surfaces are below 32°F. For a portion of the roof to be below 32°F, outside temperatures must also be below 32°F. When we say temperatures above or below 32°F, we are talking about average temperature over sustained periods of time.
The snow on a roof surface that is above 32°F will melt. As water flows down the roof it reaches the portion of the roof that is below 32°F and freezes. That is how an ice dam forms.
The dam grows as it is fed by the melting snow above it, but it will limit itself to the portions of the roof that are on the average below 32°F. So the water above backs up behind the ice dam and remains a liquid. This water finds cracks and openings in the exterior roof covering and flows into the attic space. From the attic it could flow into exterior walls or through the ceiling insulation and stain the ceiling finish. In addition, non-uniform roof surfaces, such as garden windows will lead to ice dams as well.