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What Is Ice & Water Shield On Roof

Are The Nail Holes In Felt Sealed

ROOFING ICE AND WATER SHIELD: WHAT YOUR ROOFER HIDES FROM YOU?

No. The nail holes through felt paper are not sealed.

Where the nails used to attach the roofing materials penetrate felt paper, the actual hole created by the nail is not sealed where it passes through the felt paper.

Water can get under the head of the nail and seep down the shaft of the nail where it passes through the felt paper. When this happens, you get leaks into your home.

Ice And Water Shield For Roofs: A Complete Guide

What exactly is an ice and water shield for a roof? Ice and water shield describes a roofing component specifically designed to protect vulnerable areas of roof decking from water damage.

The material is traditionally more popular in northern states where winters are longer and often more severe.

Ice and water shield is usually sold in rolls with a self-adhesive backing, making it useful in protecting roof valleys, drip edges, and essentially anywhere additional protection is needed.

Is It Difficult To Install An Ice And Water Shield In Hot Weather

It is challenging to install one in humid weather. As far as heat is concerned, your ice and water protector is extremely sticky and slip resistant on its own.

Hot weather and warmer temperatures will make it even more sticky, which can be a serious challenge in the installation process.

If you unroll this on your roof without first snapping the proper alignment, it will become crooked and mind you, you cant pull it back out. Or, if you do, it will almost always cause a wrinkle.

The best solution is to ask your roofing company if they have experience handling an ice and water protector in hot weather.

Remember, poor installation can lead to placing your home even more at risk from ice dams, so its better to ask the necessary questions before proceeding with the installation.

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What Do Ice And Water Shields Do

An ice and water shield is a modified self adhered leak barrier. It comes in a sheet with split back release film similar to a self-stick or peel-and-stick. It seals itself around the nails used in shingling. This rubberized material that helps to prevent leaks due to:

  • Water damming in your gutters
  • Wind driven rain
  • Ice dams
  • Vulnerable areas of your roof at the eaves and rake edges
  • Chronic problem areas of your roof like skylights, dormers, vent pipes, chimneys, and other areas covered by flashing.

What Does Felt Paper Do

Ice and Water Shield: Why Is It Important?

Traditional felt paper does a decent job at stopping most leaks where water gets under shingles, tiles, metal or slate. It does this by using gravity.

Gravity allows the water to flow over the tar paper down to the edge of the roof. As long as the water doesn’t travel horizontally or along the shaft of a roofing nail, the water will not come in contact with the wood beneath the actual roofing material.

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Is Ice And Water Shield Necessary

by Rick Miller | Oct 9, 2019 | Homeowners, Roofing Underlayment, Synthetic Underlayment |

Heres a question that builders ask a lot: What is ice and water shielding? And more importantly, when is it necessary? Where Epilays synthetic underlayment roofing products are concerned, our Plystik Plus, which is a peel-and-stick underlayment, features Ice Dam Protection. This means that Plystik gives extra protection against harsh winter elements like ice. Additionally, because its a peel-and-stick underlayment, it serves as an excellent non-permeable water barrier that shields roof decks from moisture. This underlayment is one that is considered an ice and water shield.

But back to these two questions! Lets answer them so that you can see how products like Plystik help protect roofs, and so that you know when to use this type of underlayment.

Can You Put Ice And Water Shield On Entire Roof

entire roofice and watercanroofcanbarrier

. In respect to this, should I put ice and water shield on my entire roof?

You can insist on installing ice& water shielding throughout your entire roof, especially if you know your home is prone to ice dam leaks. Just be prepared for push-back from your roofer.

Subsequently, question is, do you nail down ice and water shield? Re: Question About Installing Grace Ice/water ShieldLess than 50 degrees and you need to staple your ice shield like felt. It is normally not necessary to mechanically fasten the ice shield in plus 50 tempratures.

Simply so, can ice and water shield be installed over tar paper?

But if you call them, they will tell you a single layer of ice and water shield is acceptable, no underlayment required over it.

How far up should ice and water shield go?

The minimum is typically 2 feet above the vertical projection of the inside of the exterior wall. In colder regions, a good practice is to cover the first 3 feet of roof over heated space with ice and water protector. All overhangs should also be covered.

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How To Calculate How Much Ice And Water Protector You Need

In order to calculate your ice and water protector needs, you need to know what width of ice and water protector you need, and the length of the roof that you need to cover. First, there are a few factors that determine the width you will require.

Ice and water protector must reach above the highest expected level of ice dams, which will vary by region and the slope of your roof. The minimum is typically 2 feet above the vertical projection of the inside of the exterior wall. In colder regions, a good practice is to cover the first 3 feet of roof over heated space with ice and water protector. All overhangs should also be covered.

In many northern states and provinces, your local building codes will mandate a minimum width of ice and water protector around your eaves, valleys or other features. Sometimes, they may demand more than 3 feet of coverage. Most ice and water protector products are 3 feet wide. Therefore, if you need 4 feet of coverage, you need to use two full courses of ice and water protector to meet the requirements, even though this will end up covering almost 6 feet.

As for length, youll have to measure the roof in question. The length and coverage of a roll of ice and water protector will vary by manufacturer. GoldShield is 66.7 feet long , and one package has an area of 200 square feet . Stormshield® is 65 feet long and one package covers an area of 195 square feet .

What Is Ice & Water Shield

Fast Facts About GAF Roofing’s Ice & Water Shield

Ice and water shield installation is an essential component of roofing systems. Ice and water shield helps to prevent leaks caused by ice dams and failed flashings.

Essentially, Ice and water shield is a leak barrier thats installed underneath the shingles on your roof deck. Typically they come in the form of a three-foot-wide asphalt polymer sheet. The shield prevents moisture from entering your home and damaging the home underneath and leaking into your home.

Ice and water shield’s elasticity is its primary benefit. Because ice and water shield is “rubberized” it seals around nail penetrations on the roof, thereby, preventing water from following the nail through your roof. It grips the protrusion and seals it off, which prevents water from leaking through.

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What Is Roofing Ice Guard

A roofing ice guard is a thick, rubber membrane that is applied directly to the wooden deck of a roof prior to installing shingles but after installing the roof drip guard. It comes with a strong self-adhesive backing that is used for installation.

Beside this, do I need ice shield on my roof?

In areas where the risk of either ice dams or wind-driven rain is severe, it is sometimes recommended, or mandatory, to install ice and water protector over the entire roof, regardless of pitch.

Furthermore, how do you use ice and water shield? Membrane Installation. Apply GRACE ICE& WATER SHIELD® underlayment in fair weather when the air, roof deck, and membrane are at temperatures of 40°F or higher. Apply roof covering material at temperatures of 40°F or higher. Cut the membrane into 1015 ft lengths and reroll loosely.

Also question is, will ice and water shield stick to shingles?

An Ice& Water Shield is a rubberized strip that must be applied over bare sheathing not only will it stick better on the bare sheathing, but it will present a more neat appearance. So, shingles should be removed three feet up from the eaves.

Does Ice and Water Shield go over the drip edge?

The best way is to install the roof drip edge only along the eaves first, then place ice-and-water barrier or felt paper over the drip edge. This lets any water that gets on the roof run down the underlayment and over the drip edge.

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Does Ice And Water Shield Prevent Ice Dams

No. Ice & water shieldwill not prevent ice dams. Youâd get it installed simply to minimize the chances of leaks if you do get an ice dam. You should still get an ice dam removed if itâs large enough that youâre concerned that the sheer weight of the ice dam will crush your roof.

Oh, and one thing that my inner Johnnie Cochran snarled at me to mention: Leaks theoretically can still occur even if youâve got your roof covered in ice & water shield. But especially if youâve got it covering your whole roof, the odds are minuscule at best.

Proper Ice Dam Removal in 26 Seconds

Dont take our word for it:Read our testimonials and reviews.

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The Ultimate Shield For Your Roofs Defense

Our StormShield Ice & Water Protector is a modified bitumen roll roofing product with a self-adhesive backing protected by a silicone-treated release sheet, which is easily removed during installation. StormShield consists of a resilient, non-woven glass fiber mat, which is permeated and coated with SBS modified bitumen and mineral surface. It is used for waterproofing under shingled roofs preventing water penetration due to ice dams or wind-driven rain. It can also be used as an underlayment around chimneys, dormers, vent stacks, skylights and other roof-top structures or apertures, around doors and windows.

What Brand Offers The Nail Hole Guarantee

Every Roof Needs Ice and Water Shield

The one I used on my own home has this feature and it really works. It’s Grace Ice and Water Shield®.

I covered the ENTIRE roof of my New Hampshire house with Grace Ice and Water Shield. I never have to worry about a roof leak – EVER. CLICK THIS IMAGE NOW TO ORDER SOME AND HAVE IT DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.

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Ice Dams A Special Challenge

Recent severe winters made many Maryland property owners acutely aware of the problems posed by ice dams. Significant snow loads, combined with heat rising from living spaces, cause ice dams to form. Freezing and thawing cycles also add to the problem. Rising heat melts snow on the roof, but when the water reaches the edge of the roof, the heat source stops and the water freezes.

As this cycle repeats, ice dams can build up. Just as a lake forms behind a dam across a river, pools of water can gather behind ice dams. This standing water may migrate under roofing materials where it can cause dry rot, mold and/or mildew. The water may also migrate into the attic before staining and damaging ceilings and walls.

Installation of an effective ice and water shield is a proactive measure that can prevent expensive repairs and provide peace-of-mind.

Sometimes, severe winds in thunderstorms can create enough lift to allow heavy rain to work its way under shingles. From there, moisture can migrate down the roof until it reaches vulnerable areas. Also, heavy rain can increase flowing water to the point that it exploits vulnerable spots, especially those found in aging or improperly installed roofs.

The advantages of a high-quality ice and water shield are many:

Is There Really A Difference In The Different Brands Of Ice And Water Shield

The simple answer is yes but lets go into more detail. Most manufactures offer at least two types of Ice and water shield, standard

and Hi Temperature. Hi Temp Ice and Water is used in situations where the roof deck will become very hot such as a metal roof. It is also used in commercial applications where the interior of a building produces a lot of heat such as a large manufacturing facility.

Other Ice and Water shield have come on the market in recent years that promise greater performance and some have other features. GRACE was certainly the innovator in terms of a premium Ice and Water shield.

Others have copied what Grace has done creating a product that is especially sticky and performs well in a wide variety of situations. Other products include Granulated Ice and Water shield which is Ice and Water Shield that has granules impregnated on top of it that makes it easier to walk on. There is also fabric faced products available again promising less slippery surface for the roofing installer.

Ice and water the entire roof deck? While this is an extremely rare necessity it is sometime called for. Some shingle manufacturers require Ice and water shield on very low sloped decks between 2/12 and 4/12. Also, if you live in a climate such as the UP in Michigan and routinely get over a foot of snow standing on the roof you may want to consider it.

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How Does It Work

An ice and water shield is a fully-adhered roof underlayment, which in laymans terms means it sticks to your roof. Its not going to blow away in a strong wind or shift from the pressure of snow and ice.

Its also self-healing. That means, when your roofer nails the shingles on top of it, the membrane seals around each nail.

These two qualities work together to give you superior leak protection against harsh weather conditions.

What Is Ice And Water Protector Made Of

Roofing ice and water shield – what not to do

The key component of roof ice and water protector is polymer-modified bitumen . A common feature of most ice and water protectors is the advantage of self-sealing around roofing nails. This feature greatly reduces the possibility of leaks occurring when ice or storms force water underneath the shingles.

GoldShieldTM, ArmourGard and StormShield® are all made with polymer-modified bitumen. IKOs ArmourGardTM and StormShield® have a tough, nonwoven, glass fiber mat.

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What Are Ice And Water Shielding

Ice and water shields are known for creating a waterproof barrier for the roofs of homeowners through the provision of an underlayment that has been designed to protect areas in your house that are susceptible to soaking and damages from water and ice. In most cases, these protectors are made out of polymer-modified bitumen.

The bonding agent used in the back of these barriers helps serve the first line of defense for houses where severe storms are common. These water and ice protectors contain a film that attaches to the roof deck to form a watertight end and side lap when properly planned and applied. The modified bitumen has been specifically designed to form a watertight seal on the nail fastenings were the shingles are so they wont seep into the cracks and crevices.

One of the primary safety features of these protectors is the slip-resistant top surface so that there is better traction. Normally, other materials that are exposed to water and ice tend to slip-off from rooftops. By covering an entire roof with ice and water protectors, roofs are now more easily resistant to the effects of strong wind conditions which might blow shingles off rooftops, this means that damage can be minimized while making repairs more convenient. Homeowners have to also be mindful of placing proper attic ventilation.

Is It Good Against Water Leakage

Water leakage is a major issue whenever youre dealing with roof renovations. This is a very important feature to have for a piece of equipment you use for construction.

Almost all roof underlayment products these days have waterproofing capabilities. But the thing you should be looking for is whether it does a good job or not.

Its actually one of the most important features that need special attention. You wouldnt want to have water seeping through the roof of your home, would you now?

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Upgrading Your Roof With Ice And Water Shield

Remember, youll most likely have the ice and water shield code I mentioned earlier if you live in an area that sees heavy snow. However, adding ice and water shield around the edges of the roof is also an upgrade you can add to your replacement.

You might think this isnt important, and if you live somewhere that never sees snow, its not. But when we get heavy snow in the Middle Tennessee area, we can count on phone calls about water getting into homes.

The main culprit is always the same, ice damming. The truth is, theres nothing you can do to stop the leak except wait for the snow and ice to melt off your roof.

However, you can prevent leaks from ice damming by adding ice and water shield at the edges of your roof that goes 2 feet past the interior walls of your home. Be aware you can only add this upgrade when getting a roof replacement.

If youre experiencing ice damming now or have experienced it before, add this upgrade to prevent it in the future. Just keep in mind that it will add to the cost of your new roof.

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