As beautiful as they may appear, icicles hanging from your roof can mean trouble. Often, icicles indicate that your home is at a higher risk for ice dam formation. If you are not familiar with ice dams, they are thick slabs of ice that form around the eaves and block the water flow from your roof. Thus, the ice and snow will back up water under the roof’s shingles while creating moisture in the sheathing and rafters. This backup often leads to mold testing in Boston in surrounding towns. Here, our experts at Purely Green Environmental are taking a closer look.
Ice Dams
To explain a bit further, ice dams form when heat collects in the home’s attic, but not in or around the edges of the roof. Snow then melts in the center of the heated roof, drips down to the gutter, and then refreezes on the cold eaves. The ice accumulates over time, forming a dam. Without proper care, ice dam can block your home’s ventilation, creating a perfect breeding ground for mold growth.
Without proper ventilation, high amounts of condensation combined with the attic’s heat can eventually produce a great deal of humidity. This is the exact environment that lends itself to the formation of mold. If left untreated, not only can you face poor indoor air quality, but you may also be dealing with structural damage. From the roof to the framing, insulation to ventilation, ice dams can quickly compromise many expensive elements of your home.
What to Look For
As experts in mold testing in Boston and surrounding areas, our team at Purely Green Environmental has seen it all. So, when it comes to ice dams, we recommend always checking your attic for mold damage. If there is a presence, you may want to consider professional air quality testing to ensure the utmost safety for your family. Below are a few more areas requiring inspection should you believe your home has been compromised by ice:
- Inspect the rafters and wood decking in your attic for excessive moisture.
- Look for rust buildup around nails protruding from the roof deck.
- Ensure there are no leaks in the roof.
- Inspect the ventilation so moisture has an escape path to the outdoors.
- Call the professionals at the first signs of mold inside of the home.
