We don’t often repost old material in its entirety but today we’re bringing back a blog post from 2017 which is as relevant today as it was then.

“Snow is in the forecast!”

There’s nothing that special about that statement especially this time of year in Northern New Jersey but there are some other near-future weather conditions that can turn this into a big problem for homeowners.

We’re expecting 6+ inches of snow tomorrow followed by cold and then another round of precipitation at the weekend that will potentially melt the snow. This cycle of weather is the perfect recipe for ice damming to occur.

What’s an ice dam? “An ice dam is a build-up of ice at the eave that may eventually back-up water under the shingles. When snow on the roof melts, the water travels down the roof and freezes when it passes over the unheated eave. As the water continues to flow, it becomes blocked by the newly formed “ice dam”. This water then freezes and the cycle continues. As more water freezes, it begins to back-up under the shingle tabs. As this continues further up the roof, the warmer attic space may prevent the water from freezing and this water may enter the house.” [Source: GAF technical bulletin]

Our recommendation? Make sure to remove snow off the first 3 feet of your roof using an suitable snow rake. This removes the snow from the “danger area” around the eaves and will greatly reduce the chance of ice damming.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call George J Keller and Sons at 973-927-0963.

Since the original post we’ve established special crews that are available for snow removal from your roof. Please call us today at 973-927-0963 to reserve your spot before the next storm!