Patternfor Ice Dams On A Metal Roof

Ice belt metal panels are typically short 3 4 and wide 2 5 3 and are made of thin gauge aluminum.

Patternfor ice dams on a metal roof.

The major issue with ice dams on the roof is that they trap the melting water running down from the top of the roof and thereby cause it the melted water to rise up underneath the roofing shingles and eventually seep through the boards and walls inside our homes. However on a building with a deep overhang it likely will not transfer heat high enough up the roof. The hot edge systems i am familiar with do not retrofit well onto an existing metal roof. Heat tape installed at the eaves melts channels for the water to flow through.

If you do not want to install an entire new metal roof you can put metal only where it is really needed to prevent ice dams along the eaves. An ice dam forms when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the bottom layer of snow. On a metal roof there s almost nothing for an ice dam to adhere to. It s possible the ice can get a grip on the raised metal screws commonly used to attach the metal sheets to the roof deck.

The snow melts into water and t. Improper attic ventilation should also be assessed and taken into account. Ice dams can be frustrating. In regards to the idea of a hot edge system on a metal roof it can be helpful.

A metal roof will generally shed snow better but snow running down the roof will still freeze on the unheated overhangs creating an ice dam. So the ice dams still build just higher on the roof. The quality of installation is still the key and while a metal roof doesn t have the same weakness as composition shingles that can be lifted rising ice and water a metal roof that is not installed correctly can certainly leak with or without ice dams. If an ice dam does form an ice belt will reduce the penetration of standing water.

Metal roofing can help but is not an ice dam panacea. Why ice dams are dangerous.