Your Newton Home’s Siding Roof, And Other
Areas May Be At Risk Due To Ice Damming

Many Homeowners Don’t See The Signs Until
Their Roofs And Siding Are Beyond Repair

Is your roof suffering from ice damming in Newton, NJ? Lots of New Jersey homeowners develop ice dams without even realizing it, allowing long-term damage to their homes.

Learn how to recognize this dangerous ice formation and find out how it could affect your home.

How Do Ice Dams Form In Northern New Jersey?

Ice dams form when warm air from a poorly insulated attic escapes, melting the snow on the roof. Usually, this will occur at the highest point in the roof, where warm air tends to collect. On some roofs, though, it can occur at specific spots with roof damage or missing insulation.

The snow that melts travels down the roof and eventually reaches a point where it re-freezes. The spots tend to be near the gutters and the eaves of the roof, where there’s plenty of cold air moving around.

This process happens repeatedly, and the layers of ice build up to form a substantial ridge on the roof, generally accompanied by large, densely clustered icicles. Eventually, fresh meltwater starts to build up behind the ice dam, pooling on the roof.

What Damage Can Ice Dams Do To Your Home?

Ice dams can do some serious harm. The built-up water pools that form behind them do major damage to your shingles, for one. But the water also gets under your shingles and into major cracks and crevices in your home. It can get behind your siding, too, re-freezing and pushing it away from the wall.

You can also expect mold problems if you leave an ice dam on your roof.

The places where water tends to re-freeze and pool are usually right above your home’s wall cavities. Once the water makes its way through, the leak is hard to recognize. Homeowners often let these leaks continue; this excess moisture allows extreme mold growth inside your walls.

You’ll also find that the weight of the ice does a real number on a home’s gutters, fascia, and soffit. At best, they’ll be a little bent.

But usually, homeowners find leaks in the gutters and even places where the gutter has sagged or separated from the roof. While your gutters are out of service, the spring ice melt dumps tons of water right onto your foundation, causing basement flooding and other issues.

Ice dams can also be a danger to you and your family’s safety. Falling icicles and chunks of ice sliding off the roof are a serious hazard. An ice dam has even been documented as the source of an explosion after a chunk of ice fell off a roof and hit a gas line below.