Every winter, homeowners across cold weather climates worry about whether they're going to find water in their home. Whether you're in an area that receives heavy snow throughout the winter, or you're faced with a rainy season, consider learning why you should have a roofing company use an ice and water shield on your home.

Adding Ice And Water Shield To A New Home Or When Redoing A Roof

If you're building a brand new home, ask your contractor about using this material to your home. This shield is similar to traditional felt paper, but is made out of specialized rubberized material. It doesn't make sense cost wise to have roofing contractors rip up a perfectly good roof, but if you need to replace or repair your roof, ask a number of different roofing companies if they recommend using this material instead of regular felt. This material does typically cost more than regular felt, however many roofing companies agree that this up front cost is well worth it and more than pays for itself considering the protective qualities of the shield.

Benefits Of Using Ice And Water Shield

Using this material can help stop the effects from ice damming. Ice damming occurs when snow and ice melts down into liquid and tries to run down the roof. Because melting is a slow process, there is oftentimes a chunk of hard packed snow that creates a dam that prohibits sitting liquid from simply running off the edge of the roof. This sitting liquid becomes stagnant and can seep underneath the shingles, creating a leak that runs into the home. The ice and water shield creates a waterproof barrier that keeps the water from reaching the home's interior.

How Is This Installed

Roofing companies should install this material for you - installing roofs shouldn't be a DIY project! The company will typically have two people working together and will unroll the sheets in 8-10 foot lengths. Having two people from the roofing company work as a team will help eliminate bumps and ripples in the sheeting. They will know how exactly to install this and will ensure that there aren't any unprotected seams that could let in water.

This material is extremely slippery and professionals will know how to install it so they don't need to worry about walking on it. Aside from the slip factor, it's easy to damage the sheeting by stepping on it, especially if it's extremely hot outside.

Where To Install

In some parts of the country, this material is applied to the entire roof. In others, however, roofing contractors only recommend applying it to places where leaks are likely to occur, such as along eaves and valleys and around vents and chimneys. It's important to find qualified contractors you can trust and ask them to evaluate your individual roof and your local climate for their recommendation.

Having and ice and water shield applied to your home is a great idea that can save you a lot of hassle years down the road. If you're faced with needing a new roof or are building a new house from the ground up, consider asking your roofing contractors to add in this important material.