Ice damming is preventable, but if this is an occurrence at your facility, you may need professional assistance. Ice dam formation is very common in any geographical area that experiences snowfall and wide temperature variations. Water that penetrates the roof can then seep down into the walls, insulation and flooring, damaging important assets, interrupting operations/production and destroying irreplaceable records. It’s no surprise that once any part of your building envelope is compromised, the interior assets follow suit. This can also lead to leakage into the interior space, and damage both interior and exterior finishes. A heavy collection of snow and ice can form at the edges of the roof, potentially threatening the roof’s structural integrity.Melted snow and ice collects at the cold edges of the roof, causing it to refreeze.Areas near the edge of the roof can remain cold, with snow and ice accumulation remaining intact, blocking water drainage.Snow and ice start melting from the highest parts of the roof and drain downward.The buildup of water, ice and snow on the roof surface can force its way under the roof covering or through vulnerable joints in the roof surface, penetrating the building envelope and entering the building’s interior environment. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles cause a thick buildup of ice to form at the edge of the roof system over the eaves, which can cause icicles to form. Hydrostatic pressure builds up at these areas due to accumulation overtop of the melted snow and can back up underneath the roof covering and breach the underlayment, creating undesirable conditions – such as interior leaks, stained soffits, damaged finishes, etc. Interior heat melts the snow, then the melted snow (liquid water) is then covered with additional snow and the snow can turn to ice as temperatures drop. Ice dams are the result of having a “warm” attic space, which causes a temperature differential between eave and ridge conditions. Steep slope roofs are typically water-shedding coverings and rely on a waterproofing underlayment. Collateral damage at the eaves, including damaged sheet metal components, stained overhangs and interior leakage can oftentimes tell the story of a roof system in need of improvements. Indications of larger issues include a lack of snow as compared to other locations, or an excessive build-up of snow overtop latent ice at low eave conditions. It’s what happens to the snow as it melts that can really cause issues with your roof assets. Yes, snow piles up on top of roofs and gets very heavy, but piles of snow aren’t necessarily the biggest thing to worry about. In the middle of winter with snow falling outside, you can’t help but notice how the snow collects on steep-slope commercial buildings.
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