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.
Why are icicles hanging from my roof.
Orange alert if you see icicles underneath the overhang you ve got yourself an orange alert.
In a perfect world snow falls it melts enters your gutters and flows away from your roofline.
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.
When roof sheathing gets wet it can form mildew and rot and cause further damage to your roof.
Solutions to icicles and ice dams.
Icicles are formed when rooftop snow melts then refreezes as it attempts to flow off the roof.
If the temperature in the attic becomes hot it will melt the snow on the roof.
However when the roof edge is below freezing the melting snow will refreeze and create icicles.
Clearly this will only occur when the roof surface warms above freezing it will be warm enough to melt snow.
Icicles under the overhang.
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.
Any water under your shingles will be brownish or blackish and that water might roll down your roof and become a grungy icicle.
Ice dams are formed when the snow melts and runs down the roof and refreezes on the coldest part of your roof.
Icicleswill usually form when roof snow slowly melts and flows down the roof refreezing at the edge of the roof.
Ice damming occurs once snow accumulates on your roof and the cycle of snow melting and refreezing begins creating a buildup of ice.
One of these factors is inadequate insulation in the attic.
This can cause a water leak into the home and can lead to significant water damage inside.
The underside of your shingles is a mess of dirt and debris sitting on top of tar.
These icicles form because of various factors.
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.
As the water reaches the gutter which has a lower temperature since it is not heated by the air in the attic it will freeze.