Roofing, Ice Dams and Storm Damage in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland conditions

What we actually see on roofs here

Ice damming is the defining condition

Lake effect snow off Erie loads Cleveland roofs with wet, heavy accumulation that sits for weeks rather than melting off between systems. That is the exact condition that produces ice dams: sustained snow cover, heat escaping into the attic, meltwater refreezing at a cold eave. The damage shows up as interior staining at exterior walls, and homeowners often blame the roof covering when the cause is in the attic.

Ice barrier coverage matters more here

The Residential Code of Ohio requires ice barrier membrane at eaves, with coverage driven by roof slope under Section R905 and the design temperature in Table R301.2. On a low-pitch Cleveland roof with a deep overhang, code-minimum coverage and adequate coverage are not always the same number. We measure from the interior wall line rather than assuming one course of membrane covers it.

Century housing

Cleveland and the inner-ring suburbs carry a great deal of early-1900s housing with original plank decking, multiple existing roof layers and framing that was never designed around modern loads. Tear-off on these homes routinely reveals conditions that change scope. We would rather tell you that possibility exists at the estimate than discover it with your roof open.