Ice and Water Shields: What You Need to Know
What is an ice and water shield? Do you need it on your roof? Lets discuss how it works, and why you would want this applied before your new roof.
Think about your roof as one of the first defenses against the elements. It shelters you, so it needs to be able to protect you, your home and all living inside against wind-driven rain and ice dams.
What Is an Ice and Water Shield?
Think of it as a rubber membrane. Its about three foot wide, with an adhesive back. You apply it along the edge of your roof, in any valleys and around anything coming through the roof, and along any wall that hits the roof.
These are vulnerable areas to water damage when water or ice collect on your roof. The ice and water shield acts as a self-healing membrane, protecting your roof from damage. Just like your skin is your first defense to infection setting in when your cut or scraped, ice and water shield is the first defense when storms roll our way.
How Does It Work?
An ice and water shield is a fully-adhered roof underlayment. To dumb it down to a thrid grade level, its a big sticker that gets applied to seal and cover. It’s not going to blow away in a strong wind or shift from the pressure of snow and ice.
It’s also self-healing. That means, when your roofer nails the shingles on top of it, the membrane seals around each nail.
The two qualities working together give you a Superman style leak protection against harsh weather conditions.
Do I Really Need It?
Its only a matter of time for water to work it’s way under your shingles. What is going to happen if you don’t have a moisture barrier? You’re going to develop a leak.
In the winter:
Ice dam: Accumulated snow can begin to melt with the sun starts to warm everything up.and thaw things out. When it does, it flows down your roof, toward the edge. But if temperatures drop before the snow has completely melted, the runoff will refreeze into ice.
When temperatures warm up again, this layer of ice can take longer to melt than the snow behind it. Instead of melting and running right off it becomes a dam. It will hold back the newly melted water, which will push its way back up the slope of your roof and underneath your shingles. Trust me, you will want a moisture barrier protecting your home. This is a lot of weight and pressure.
Severe storms: Texas is known for some amazing storms. We can often see tornadoes and tropical storm strength winds from hurricanes in the gulf. In the event of severe weather, strong winds may lift shingles, leaving an area vulnerable and unprotected. This is where rain can easily soak in, or allow rainwater to seep beneath shingles, causing a leak and a major headache.
Should You Cover Your Entire Roof with Ice and Water Shields?
If the shield waterproofs your roof, it only makes sense to cover your entire roof, right?
Not necessarily.
Covering your entire roof may be a bit excessive. Majority of the time you place the ice and water shield in vulnerable areas — near eaves, valleys, low pitches, and along chimneys, for example — you’ll be able to prevent most leaks without spending more money than necessary.
It is worth noting that if you cover your entire roof with the ice and water shield, you’ll create a vapor barrier that will keep your deck from being able to breathe. That will cause condensation, which can, in turn, create water damage.
That said, you can cover your entire roof with an ice and water shield, and it could help prevent leaks if you live in an area with extreme winds. But if you do, make sure you also add a ventilation system to your attic to prevent condensation.
Bottom line, an ice and water shield is an important part of your new roof. Talk with your roofer about the products they’ll use on your roof. Make sure you have the leak protection you need to keep your home safe.
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