Have you ever wondered why some of your roofs seem to melt more quickly than others? While there are a few reasons why this can happen, one of the most common is due to insulation problems.
The reason this happens is because a well-insulated house traps heat, preventing it from melting snow. A house with poor insulation allows heat to escape into the attic, melting snow on the roof.
This is particularly dangerous if your home has a sloping roof, as it could allow water to run down the side of your roof and eventually freeze into an ice dam. When that ice dam forms, it can create leaks and cause damage to your ceilings and pipes.
Another phenomenon that causes snow to melt on some roofs and not others is solar thaw. This occurs when the sun hits the snow blanket on top of your roof and raises the temperature of the surface of the snow.
It can also occur if you live in an area with high humidity, which will make the snow even drier and melt faster. This can be especially problematic if your roof has no heat cables or ventilation.
If you have a sloping roof and have some areas that melt more quickly than other parts of your roof, you may want to add heat cables to those spots. They are a way to prevent ice dams in these spots.