Roof Waterproofing in Pontiac, MI before it leaks

Why older Pontiac homes grow ice dams

Ice dams are common on older houses in Pontiac for a simple reason: heat escapes into the attic. Homes built before modern insulation and ventilation practices often have thin attic insulation, few soffit vents and warm air leaking up around chimneys, light fixtures and attic hatches. That warmth melts the snow on the upper roof, the water runs down to the cold eaves, and it freezes into a ridge of ice.

The next melt has nowhere to go. It backs up under the shingles, into the decking and down the inside of the wall. Story-and-a-half homes with knee walls and dormers are especially prone, because the heated rooms sit right under the roof.

We fix it from both sides. On the roof, ice and water shield goes along the eaves and in the valleys, flashing is replaced at chimneys and walls, and drip edge sends water into the gutters. In the attic, we look at intake and exhaust ventilation and point out where air sealing and insulation would help. Heat cables and roof raking treat the symptom; we go after the cause, and we photograph what we find so you can see it.