Among the many lifestyle changes that come with the passing of the fall, preparing for the winter blizzards, cold snaps, and snowstorms is also part of the process that comes with the changing seasons. Aside from bringing out snow chains, heavy coats and winter boots, one of the most important ways to prepare for the intense winter storms and cold weather months is to winter-proof your home, and especially its exterior.

In particular, it’s important to weatherproof your rooftop to seal any holes or cracks from wind, rain,and snow, and to protect it from forming ice dams over the winter season. Ice dams are ridges of ice that hang over the eaves of a roof and prevent water flow, which causes water to sit on your roof. In addition to the weight of the ice itself, the inability for the trapped water to flow away can cause damage to your roof in the form of shingles being destroyed or causing cracks, which causes roof leaks. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your home from this happening.

At Legacy Remodeling, we’ve been helping homeowners get their houses ready for winter in Pittsburgh since 1987. If you’re looking for information on protecting your roof from ice dam formation, take a look at some of our Pittsburgh roofing company’s expert tips on preparing your home before the coldest months of the year arrive.

Protect Your Home Against Ice Dams

The easiest way to keep your roof protected from ice dams and other winter hazards is to prevent them from happening in the first place. That’s why we have provided some helpful tips to keep you way ahead in the fight against winter weather.

  • Keep the Roof Cold: Ice dams happen because the snow and ice are constantly melting during the day due to the sun and warmer temperatures, but refreezing overnight. The best way to combat this is to keep the roof cold enough to prevent melting. To do this, you will need to close up any attic bypasses, manage your insulation levels, and add roof and soffit vents. 

  • Ice and Water Barriers: This option can be expensive if your roof is already sound, but if a roof replacement is in your future anyway, then by having an ice and water barrier installed you can add a protective layer that your roof was lacking previously.

  • Rake it Off: Perhaps the simplest method, but also the most dangerous. By using a snow rake, you can remove the excess snow on your roof before it has a chance to melt and refreeze.

  • Turn Up the Heat: For those who want to go high tech, you can always install heat cables, which are basically coils that heat up to melt everything away. However, make sure you have your gutter system set up to drain the water away. Also, put a heat cable in the downspout or the water will freeze on the way down.

  • Practice maintenance: Simple maintenance on your roof and more importantly gutter system will ensure that you’re not at risk since you will be able to keep your gutters free of debris as well identify roof issues ahead of time.

Sometimes, winter weather can be excessively brutal. Even the best prevention techniques can fail during severe winter weather. For this reason, and others sometimes you need to call on a roofing contractor like the team at Legacy Remodeling. They will be more than happy to assist homeowners with their Pittsburgh replacement roof.

For Optimal Safety, Call a Professional

As a final word of advice, if you already have ice dams that have formed do not try to remove them yourself. Working on or next to a roof is dangerous as it is, but adding ice to the equation is asking for trouble. Instead, call a reliable, professional Pittsburgh roofing company like Legacy Remodeling. Our team is highly trained to provide quick and efficient service to remove ice dam formations in dangerous weather conditions, with the state-of-the-art resources and materials like calcium chloride to safely melt away the ice dams.

Roof Repair, Replacements, and New Installations From Legacy Remodeling

At Legacy Remodeling, we understand the importance of protecting your home during the winter from problems such as ice dams. That’s why our team of roofing contractors work hard to not only provide a superior installation and Pittsburgh replacement roof service but also use the best in quality for your roofing materials whether it’s an asphalt shingle roof or a metal roof.

When you find yourselves in need of a roof repair or roof replacement, you can rest easy knowing we have you covered so that your home stays safe in the winter. Give our experts at Legacy Remodeling a call and speak with one of our agents about our professional roofing services over the phone, or fill out our online form to schedule a free, in-home price quote.