Why Do I Have Ice Cycles On My Roof

When the meltwater reaches the colder eaves the part of the roof that extends beyond the walls the water refreezes and creates a buildup of ice along the edge of your roofline says this old house.

Why do i have ice cycles on my roof.

It s only when symptomatic of a bigger problem like an ice dam that you need to worry about roof damage. In a perfect world snow falls it melts enters your gutters and flows away from your roofline. So icicles hanging from a roof s edge may be a sign of an ice dam. Ice damming occurs once snow accumulates on your roof and the cycle of snow melting and refreezing begins creating a buildup of ice.

Icicles themselves usually don t cause damage. The water refreezes inside your gutters turning the overflow into icicles. Ice dams are formed when the snow melts and runs down the roof and refreezes on the coldest part of your roof. The presence of icicles can mean that heat is escaping from your home or business or that you have been through a freeze and thaw cycle.

Ice dams form when warm air from inside your home melts snow on the roof. This is why you can leave the small ones alone. As the temperature fluctuates the snow on your roof melts sending water down to the gutters. Will icicles damage my roof.

The melted water drains along the roof until it reaches the cold overhang. Usually caused by poor attic insulation and ventilation the ice dam is formed when the warm air inside your home leaks into the attic and warms the underside of the roof causing snow and ice on the roof to melt. If you have large icicles either in length or diameter you should be concerned as those are signs of an ice dam.