The health of your roof is crucial to the integrity of your home. 

Knowing the 10 most common roofing problems can help you to catch the damage early enough to make adequate repairs. Here are the most notable problems.

Roof Leaks

Your roof has to handle the elements. Rain, snow, hail and wind may lead to moisture inside the roof. If this happens, rot and mold are the next step.

Faulty Shingle Installation

A badly installed roof leads to bigger problems. If you want your roof to have a long lifespan, it needs to be installed up to standards and by a professional.

Critter Infestations

Small birds and animals may cause a lot of damage to your roof. If you have an animal infestation, you want to take care of it as soon as possible.

Poorly Installed Flashing

Flashing seals areas such as vent pipes, chimneys, skylights. When flashing is not installed properly, it leads to open seams and blown off tiles.

Pooling Water

If water pools on your roof, this problem normally arises from debris buildup or from HVAC units that don’t properly drain. It may also be due to gutter problems.

Ventilation Problems

Ventilation regulates temperature and moisture levels. Ventilation problems lead to costly energy bills and mildew issues.

Shrinkage or Blistering

The roof membrane may shrink and cause cracks in the upper layer. Watch for blistering, splitting and surface erosion.

Overhanging Limbs

Tree limbs may rub the surface and wear away at the top layer of your shingles. Trim your tree limbs back as much as possible. No tree should be a threat to your home.

Improper Maintenance

Your roof needs checking regularly. With proper maintenance, you can control any problems that occur to your roof.

When it comes to taking care of your roof, it’s crucial that you know the most common problems. The more that you know, the easier it will be to ensure that your roof lasts. Contact J&B Roofing today at 651-457-0391 for help with your roofing needs.

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Ice Dam Removal

Ice dam removal Saint Paul MN

What is an ice dam?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas. 

How are ice dams caused?

There is a complex interaction among the amount of heat loss from a house, snow cover and outside temperatures that leads to ice dam formation. For ice dams to form there must be snow on the roof, and, at the same time, higher portions of the roof's outside surface must be above 32 degrees F while lower surfaces are below 32. For a portion of the roof to be below 32, outside temperatures must also be below 32. When we say temperatures above or below 32, we are talking about average temperature over sustained periods of time.

Ice Dams

The snow on a roof surface that is above 32 will melt. As water flows down the roof it reaches the portion of the roof that is below 32 and freezes. Voila! - an ice dam.

The dam grows as it is fed by the melting snow above it, but it will limit itself to the portions of the roof that are on the average below 32. So the water above backs up behind the ice dam and remains a liquid. This water finds cracks and openings in the exterior roof covering and flows into the attic space. From the attic it could flow into exterior walls or through the ceiling insulation and stain the ceiling finish.

How do you remove ice dams?

• Remove snow from the roof. This eliminates one of the ingredients necessary for the formation of an ice dam. A "roof rake" and push broom can be used to remove snow, but may damage the roofing materials.

• In an emergency situation where water is flowing into the house structure, making channels through the ice dam allows the water behind the dam to drain off the roof. Hosing with tap water on a warm day will do this job. Work upward from the lower edge of the dam. The channel will become ineffective within days and is only a temporary solution to ice dam damage.

In Saint Paul and Minneapolis you can contact J&B Roofing, with over 25 years in the roofing business J&B has the experience and the tools to safely deal with your ice dam problems.

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