Winter is quickly approaching here in New England and that means ice dam season. Every winter hundreds of houses throughout the area are affected by ice dams. But when it comes to protecting your home from ice dams, a little preparation goes a long way.

The time to prevent ice dams is now, before the bad weather hits and it pays to be prepared. Ice dams can cause hundreds, even thousands of dollars of damage to your home. If these chunks of ice buildup along the eaves of your roof it can cause melting water to be forced back into your home and seep into ceilings and walls causing damage such as flooding and mold growth.

So be a smart homeowner and prepare early. Make sure your home and attic have enough insulation and proper ventilation. To prevent ice dams your goal will be to keep the attic below freezing so it won’t melt the snow sitting on the roof.

Check your attic for any leaks that may be present. You can also use an infrared scanner to find potential hot spots in walls and ceilings that indicate where heated air is leaking into the attic. Check to make sure your home’s insulation is up to code. Keep in mind that the building code is a minimum and some houses might need more in order to stave off ice dams. Finally consider whether additional venting is needed in the attic to let cold air come in under the roof deck.

Adding rubber sheathing under the shingles in your roof can also help prevent water from seeping into your walls and ceilings. Aqua Barriers specializes in leak-free roofing even on flat roofs which are often more susceptible to leaks. Contact Aqua Barriers Inc. today to schedule a roof inspection and help prevent ice damns this year.