Too much of a good thing

Come November we pray for snow, we fear we won’t get enough of it and even are concerned that whatever we receive won’t last the whole winter… This season however, when the sky opened up the floodgates, we simply didn’t get the “perfect” dosage of flakes, but... an avalanche! Since our last snowfall, less than one week ago, we frankly are sick of all these dumps, of all the shoveling, the blowing and the rest. Well, now the snow has the nerves to takes a mind of its own and start working in some malevolent ways, especially on rooftops. Those north-facing eaves have accumulated more than their fair share of snow, and if there's no “cold-roof”, no de-icing system in place or if the insulation leaves to be desired, the ice dams waste no time to build up and at the first thaw, water is guaranteed to build up between them and the slope of the roof, leaving nowhere for the melting water to seep, but through the roofing material and into the interior of the house. In big snow years like this one, the scenario repeats itself on a daily basis. So, what's a homeowner to do? Simply try to clear the snow with a shovel or a snow rake, but the ice dam will be hard to dislodge without risking to damage the shingles. The best cure – as always – is prevention carried out during the dry months. Better insulation, especially over the eaves, and installing an electric de-icing system. All these solutions cost a bit of money but in the long run they’re a cheap fix compared to having leaks inside the house!