Any water under your shingles will be brownish or blackish and that water might roll down your roof and become a grungy icicle.
Why are icicles hanging from my roof.
Icicles can also be an indicator of ice dams which form when the ice continues to backup on the roof and the snow melt water from the heated attic gets under the shingles.
Icicles are formed when rooftop snow melts then refreezes as it attempts to flow off the roof.
Small icicles are a normal part of life as a homeowner in west michigan so you don t necessarily need to be worried but you do need to pay attention and make sure no larger problems may be present.
Clearly this will only occur when the roof surface warms above freezing it will be warm enough to melt snow.
However when the roof edge is below freezing the melting snow will refreeze and create icicles.
Gutters will continue to be overwhelmed by melting snow from the roof which will cause a thicker layer of ice to form above the gutter edge and icicles will grow in size.
If you have a number of large icicles hanging from the eaves of your home you re probably in the presence of an ice dam.
This can cause a water leak into the home and can lead to significant water damage inside.
The presence of icicles can mean that heat is escaping from your home or business or that you have been through a freeze and thaw cycle.
As the water reaches the gutter which has a lower temperature since it is not heated by the air in the attic it will freeze.
Icicles under the overhang.
In a perfect world snow falls it melts enters your gutters and flows away from your roofline.
One of these factors is inadequate insulation in the attic.
This means the ice dam has grown in thickness enough for water to pool above your ice water shield a rubber membrane that runs under the first 3 6 feet of your shingles.
When roof sheathing gets wet it can form mildew and rot and cause further damage to your roof.
These icicles form because of various factors.
Right about now the melting snow is slowly refreezing which causes your ice dam to get thicker and to climb up towards the peak of your roof.
Ice dams are formed when the snow melts and runs down the roof and refreezes on the coldest part of your roof.
The underside of shingles brown icicles are often a sign that water has seeped under your shingles.
The underside of your shingles is a mess of dirt and debris sitting on top of tar.
Icicleswill usually form when roof snow slowly melts and flows down the roof refreezing at the edge of the roof.
Solutions to icicles and ice dams.