Nailing This Down

Posted on: 28 January 2022

After a storm dumped heavy amounts of frozen precipitation on your home, you may have been dealing with the formation of ice dams around the edges. Once they have either melted away or you dealt with them by removing the snow with a snow rake, you may believe that they are dealt with.

However, because of their immense weight, these ice dams could have caused critical damage to the roof's shingles that will require the attention of a roofer. Below are a couple of signs that your roof was damaged and is in need of professional repairs.

1.  Examine the Edges of the Roof to See If Any Shingles Are Cracked, Broken, or Missing

One sign that your home's roof has sustained damage from ice dams can be found by examining the shingles along the edges of the roof. Position yourself under the roof where you can clearly see the shingles sticking over. You may have to look at an angle to see around the gutters.

While inspecting the edges, look for any cracks or shingles that have pieces broken off of them. You may even see that some are missing. 

Even small areas can allow water to leak into the walls or corners of your home. If you do find damage to these outer edges, do not ignore it, but call a place like Premier Roofing Co to have them professionally inspected and repaired, if needed

2.  Check the Upper Corners of the Attic Ceiling for Wet Spots or Mold Growth

Even if you did not find signs of physical damage to the shingles around the edges of the roof, you should continue your investigation by going into your home's attic. Because this space is the closest to the roof, it will be affected first by any damage caused by the ice dams.

While in your attic, look at the upper corners of the ceiling to see if there are any fresh wet spots or new mold growth. If you do find either or both of these signs, there may be unseen ice dam damage to your roof that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.

If you find that the shingles on the edges of your home's roof have been cracked or broken and/or there is water seeping into your attic, the ice dams have caused damage that should be addressed as soon as possible by a professional. Even if you only suspect that the dams caused this damage, contact a roofing contractor who offers repair services in your area to have them assess the damage and present options to have it fixed as soon as possible.