My Roof Is Leaking In Winter

Frost and ice can build up on the underside of the roof sheathing or in wall and roof cavities.

My roof is leaking in winter.

An ice dam occurs when snow melts and the water freezes when it hits the colder edges of your roof. As you may already know unfortunately if your roof is actively leaking due to weather a roofing professional can not repair the leak until that weather has stopped. The frost is formed by warm moist air leaking into the cold attic space. However when it is not practical to climb up on the roof to fix a leak such as during the winter months you can repair a leaky roof temporarily from the inside if you can determine where the leak is occuring from the underside of your roof.

Roof leaks must be repaired from the outside to ensure the problem is corrected. I have ruled out roof leaks and the contractor came back and upgraded the attic insulation. Lower than recommended for winter. I keep my thermostat at 69 f 21 c during the day and 63 17 c.

The tarping service will act as a temporary fix to minimize the damage inside your home until your roofer can fix the problem. Push the shingle or plywood into the tar and trowel more roofing tar around the edges of the patch. Like any other type of dam it blocks the natural flow of water in this case trapping the melted snow water on your roof. Trowel the roofing tar into the leak on the underside of the roof deck using a putty knife.

Bathing cooking laundry and body heat all contribute to the moisture in the air. Tarping a roof will temporarily stop leaks and protect your home from the elements. This guide details how to tarp a roof in a simple affordable way. In the photo you can still see signs of an ice dam.

This roof leaks during the snowy part of winter and during storms in the summer certainly due to poor flashing. When installed correctly roof tarps can shield you home from bad weather for up to 90 days.