Clearly this will only occur when the roof surface warms above freezing it will be warm enough to melt snow.
Why are icicles hanging from my roof.
Gutters will continue to be overwhelmed by melting snow from the roof which will cause a thicker layer of ice to form above the gutter edge and icicles will grow in size.
This can cause a water leak into the home and can lead to significant water damage inside.
Icicleswill usually form when roof snow slowly melts and flows down the roof refreezing at the edge of the roof.
When roof sheathing gets wet it can form mildew and rot and cause further damage to your roof.
If you have a number of large icicles hanging from the eaves of your home you re probably in the presence of an ice dam.
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.
Small icicles are a normal part of life as a homeowner in west michigan so you don t necessarily need to be worried but you do need to pay attention and make sure no larger problems may be present.
Icicles under the overhang.
Icicles can also be an indicator of ice dams which form when the ice continues to backup on the roof and the snow melt water from the heated attic gets under the shingles.
Any water under your shingles will be brownish or blackish and that water might roll down your roof and become a grungy icicle.
These icicles form because of various factors.
This means the ice dam has grown in thickness enough for water to pool above your ice water shield a rubber membrane that runs under the first 3 6 feet of your shingles.
Ice damming occurs once snow accumulates on your roof and the cycle of snow melting and refreezing begins creating a buildup of ice.
The underside of your shingles is a mess of dirt and debris sitting on top of tar.
However when the roof edge is below freezing the melting snow will refreeze and create icicles.
The underside of shingles brown icicles are often a sign that water has seeped under your shingles.
In a perfect world snow falls it melts enters your gutters and flows away from your roofline.
Solutions to icicles and ice dams.
Orange alert if you see icicles underneath the overhang you ve got yourself an orange alert.
Right about now the melting snow is slowly refreezing which causes your ice dam to get thicker and to climb up towards the peak of your roof.
Ice dams are formed when the snow melts and runs down the roof and refreezes on the coldest part of your roof.
Icicles are formed when rooftop snow melts then refreezes as it attempts to flow off the roof.