Rangeley Handyman FAQS

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms on the edge of a roof. The melting snow above the dam cannot easily escape off the roof and keeps building ice and water above the dam. If the dam is allowed to build up water, the water can start running inside the home, possibly damaging walls, ceilings, and insulation.

To prevent an ice dam, you need to know how they result in the first place.  Ice dams generally form for any of the following 4 reasons:

1) A Hot Attic

This is the most common way ice dams form. It happens with an energy inefficient home. You probably don’t have enough insulation in your attic, and or you don’t have enough ventilation in your attic, and or there are poorly insulated areas like outlets, light fixtures, and attic doors, that allow warm air to sneak up into your attic.

2) Fluctuating Temperatures

You’re looking at perfect ice dam conditions when you see temperatures slightly above freezing during the day, but well below freezing during the night. At this point, it doesn’t matter how warm or cool your roof is, because the snow melts during the day and refreezes at night.

3) Radiant Heat from the Sun

Temperatures can hold below freezing during the day and during the night, but ice dams can continue to form if the radiant heat from the sun manages to melt the snow on your roof, despite the ambient temperature being below freezing.

4) Perfect Temperatures

Be wary of ice dams when temperatures sit between 30 and 32 degrees – right at freezing, or just under freezing. Why? Because at that point even an energy-efficient home can start sprouting ice dams.

Yes, absolutely.

• Unless approved by someone like us, don’t add your weight or the weight of equipment to your roof.
• Please be careful when using a ladder. Ice tends to accumulate on both the rungs of the ladder and the soles of your work boots.
• Also, don’t use electric heating tools like hair dryers or heat guns to remove snow and ice.
• And please don’t use open-flame devices to remove snow and ice.

When all is said and done, it’s best to hire a professional from Rangeley Handyman. 

Many times there are little things that need to be done on a property that you really don’t feel like doing yourself. Rangeley Handyman services do these little small jobs. These jobs include trimming a few trees, hauling some things to the dump, stacking some firewood, or the like.