It’s winter here in the Twin Cities metro area, and this winter has already served up a hefty portion of snow, ice, and winter precipitation. All of these can take their toll on your roof, but the biggest source of damage this time of year is caused by ice dams. Ice dams can cause serious damage to your roof including leaks inside your home when left unattended. The end result can be a frustrating run-in with your insurance company.

At The Construction Group in Woodbury, we work with Minnesota homeowners to help prevent roof and siding damage due to ice dams. In this post, we’ll discuss how ice dams impact your insurance and talk about how our Twin Cities roofing contractors help mitigate that damage.

Ice Dams and Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy

Homeowner’s insurance is meant to protect you and your family from disaster. Unfortunately, you can’t always assume that your homeowner’s insurance policy will have your back when nature strikes. Too often, homeowners call their insurance policy expecting a claim to be covered only to learn that the insurance company won’t pay. That leaves the homeowner faced with an expensive repair and no easy resolution.

Your homeowner’s insurance policy may cover some damage caused by ice dams, but there’s a good chance there will be some limitations on that coverage. That’s why it’s important to protect your roof before serious damage occurs.

When Your Policy Pays for Damage

Even if you’re lucky enough to have a policy that’s willing to cover damage from ice dams, it may not be worth it to file a claim. While insurance companies are sometimes willing to cover ice dam damage, they often apply a rate increase.

This can end up costing you more in the long run, especially if your family is already on a strictly allocated monthly budget. In many cases, it’s better to handle ice dams on your own and avoid risking a hit to your homeowner’s insurance rates.

Avoiding the Need for an Ice Dam Claim

The best way to avoid having to work with your insurance company on an ice dam claim is to prevent the need for one to begin with. First, it’s important to understand what causes ice dams. Ice dams occur as a result of heat within your home rising and melting the accumulated ice and snow on your roof. When that snow or ice melts, it can end up refreezing at the edges of your roof and forming a dam of ice.

Here are a few steps you can take to prevent an ice dam claim:

1.      Make sure you have adequate insulation in your attic and roof.

2.      Update your gutter system so water runs off your roof adequately.

3.      Use our ice dam removal service when ice dams appear.

Call Our Twin Cities Seamless Gutter Installation and Ice Dam Removal Service

If you’re a Minneapolis or St. Paul homeowner, don’t take a chance with ice dams this winter. At The Construction Group in Woodbury, we can help you prevent an insurance disaster so you never have to make that call.

Connect with a member of our team at The Construction Group at 651-731-5857. Or you can contact us to get a free quote on winterizing your roof today.