I am looking for some insight.....I had my roof replaced. Complete tear off of 2 layers of shingles and repairs to more boards than I would like to admit. However, I never had any leaks in the house before. The work was done in January in Michigan so it has definitely been cold. Within 1 week of having everything replaced, I started to notice ice dams and icicles. This was NEVER an issue before the new roof. I had the roofer come out and take a look and his answer was that I have bad insulation. When I explained that I never had the issue before he said it was because I had 2 layers of shingles previously. The ice dams became such an issue that within the month I had a major roof leak! The roofers came back, shoveled the snow and did a temporary fix to the area that started leaking. As seen in the attached picture, is my insulation really the issue when I still have snow on my roof and my neighbors don't? Are there other reasons as to why ice dams would happen with a brand new roof that was never an issue before?
Icicles on Brand New Roof
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I'm from Colorado. Generally, ice dam occurs when snow or ice on the roof melts but the water doesn’t drain off. Once the temperature drops again, the water refreezes. Ice sits on the roof melting and refreezing over and over.
I copied this from my blog: How to Prevent Ice Dams and Protect Your Roof, hope this addresses your roof issues:
"The best way to prevent an ice dam is to check the ventilation and heat distribution of your attic and roof. At Skyyguard we can do that for you! The heat needs to rise and escape through the ventilation in the attic. Bathroom, dryer and kitchen exhausts should go directly outside, not into the attic.
Additionally, any holes from fixtures mounted into the ceiling under the attic need proper and airtight seals. It is also very important to have the correct type and volume of insulation in place. That way you can prevent warm patches on the roof that melt snow in the winter. The air temperature in the attic should be kept below freezing if the outside temperature is in the low 20s."
I copied this from my blog: How to Prevent Ice Dams and Protect Your Roof, hope this addresses your roof issues:
"The best way to prevent an ice dam is to check the ventilation and heat distribution of your attic and roof. At Skyyguard we can do that for you! The heat needs to rise and escape through the ventilation in the attic. Bathroom, dryer and kitchen exhausts should go directly outside, not into the attic.
Additionally, any holes from fixtures mounted into the ceiling under the attic need proper and airtight seals. It is also very important to have the correct type and volume of insulation in place. That way you can prevent warm patches on the roof that melt snow in the winter. The air temperature in the attic should be kept below freezing if the outside temperature is in the low 20s."
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