I Have Ice Build-Up

Why is ice building up on my roof and how can I stop it?

A. Ice build-up is an alarm to owners that their buildings are under-insulated. Heat escaping through the roof combines with sunlight to melt rooftop snow during the daytime. This water then runs down to the eaves where it refreezes. As this process continues, the snowmelt builds upon itself, damming up higher and higher on the roofline, and sometimes the ice can be more than a foot deep. When the weather warms, melting ice will find places to infiltrate your building.

If your roof is not waterproof or if it has screw holes, this build-up will eventually lead to leaks.

Insulation stops ice.

As you can imagine, it takes a lot of energy to melt that much snow. You’re paying for all the heat it took to melt that snow – a very expensive problem.

It’s seems unbelievable, but as we see buildings here in northern Michigan that have absolutely no insulating properties – that are R-0. It’s common for older buildings, even here in our area, to have absolutely no insulation. Many metal buildings in industrial situations also have less than an R-5 value, so these companies are paying to heat the great outdoors.

A new roof with proper insulation, good ventilation, and proven waterproofing can pay for itself in energy savings. More than 90 percent of the roofs we replace pay for themselves in energy savings before the warranty expires.

Ice build-up prevention and lower energy bills are important reasons for business owners in northern Michigan to pay attention to these icy warning signs.

Ask Us Directly

Have your own question? Would you like to learn more about your specific roofing issue, options and approaches? Please consider us a resource, and reach out to speak with our management. We’ve been doing commercial roofing and helping business owners and northern Michigan facility managers improve and protect their operations for three decades. Call us directly at 231.263.5300 or contact us for a timely response.