Does what occurs in one part of your home have an impact on what happens elsewhere? Although the idea may seem counter-intuitive, your building is a complete system, and everything rests on its foundation. Problems beneath the soil can eventually cause issues at higher levels. Here’s what you need to know about your Milwaukee foundation repair options and the ice dams that are destroying your property from the top down.
Ice Dams Explained
An ice dam occurs when ice accumulates around your roof’s edges. As water freezes, it expands, and this process can form a dam that actually pushes its way beneath your roof’s shingles and into the membrane layers below. When it later melts, the resulting water has an open pathway into your home.
The Risks
It’s no secret that ice dams are bad for buildings. The water they let inside homes can soak walls and building materials that then grow mold. In addition to harming people with allergies and asthma, these conditions are breeding grounds for insects, which can attract other disease-carrying wildlife.
Ice dams also contribute to dangerous structural damage. Soaked building materials may warp and lead to other kinds of property destruction. Some lose their ability to support loads, which can result in your home collapsing.
The Problem With Attic Heat
Letting too much debris build up in your gutters can contribute to ice dams, but so can poor building maintenance. Ice dams often grow as the bottom layer of snow on your roof melts due to your attic’s warm temperatures and refreezes after it flows to the edges of your building. If your insulation isn’t doing its job, your attic may make the problem worse.
Your Home Deserves Comprehensive Repair
How do ice dams relate to your home’s foundation and basement? Ice dams love warm attic conditions. If your foundation is cracked or misaligned due to your house settling, then gaps can open up in drywall elsewhere. As you heat your living spaces, the warm air can flow through these holes and into your roof, so it’s critical to talk to a Milwaukee foundation repair expert.
Another problem might occur when the pathways leading to your attic are improperly sealed. Plumbing, wiring, chimneys and other elements that pass through your ceiling need to be insulated correctly, but if they’re shifting along with your home’s unstable lower levels, then their seals may weaken. Even though it’s important to correct leaks where they enter the attic, you’ll need to perform a comprehensive inspection to fight the problem at its source.
Ice dams can also be a vicious cycle. When they let water enter your home and weaken walls, more heat might escape into your attic. Or the moisture might cause uneven expansion of your foundation’s concrete that then widens the cracks up above.
Don’t Let Ice Dams Jeopardize Your Investment
Your home is only as great as the sum of its parts. Consulting with an experienced Milwaukee foundation repair team makes it possible to ensure that your property’s components work together flawlessly. Stop ice dams and the damage they cause by chatting with Accurate Basement Repair today.
