I live in the South and I have Ice Dams. What is Wrong With This Picture?

It seems like we are setting records for cold temperatures, ice, and snow this winter! I've been iced in for a couple of days now. The grandkids are having a blast, but I think I've shovelled enough snow for a lifetime already!

I wanted to continue our series about the right questions to ask your thermographer, but under the circumstances (that is, under a ton of snow and ice!), I thought it might be timely to talk a bit about ice dams - what are they, and what do you do about them?

What is an ice dam? Ice dams occur when snow melts near the ridgelines of warm roofs (roofs without adequate ventilation). As the water runs down the roof to the overhang, it cools and freezes. When it gets cold again, any water that may have melted refreezes until you have the equivalent of a giant ice cube sitting on your roof eaves or gutters. While this sounds bad enough, real damage can occur as the ice melts. If the water has nowhere to go, it seeps underneath the shingles of your roof. Now you've got real problems as the water build up continues and damage to your roof can start to occur.

Notice that it occurs when snow melts near ridgelines of warm roofs. What makes a roof warm? If you lack  proper ventilation and insulation in your attic or roof structure, warm spots can form. So if you have ice dams, how can you tell where the warm spots are, and if they are being caused by improper ventilation or missing insulation?

Thermal imaging can be the key to identifying the root causes of ice dams. By performing a thermal scan on your roof, we can see exactly where the warm spots are. By using thermography to scan the corresponding areas on the inside of your building, we can identify why those spots are warmer than they should be.

Next time, we'll be back to developing a list of questions for your certified thermographer. In the meantime - stay warm!

Interested in learning more? Give me a call at 803-328-2889 and let’s talk!


IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com// or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North and South Carolina!