ICE DAMS

An "ice&water type membrane"....along with extra wide edge flashing treatment, can be done by someone who knows how to dismantle areas or partial sections of the roof without simply causing more damage in the process. It really depends though on how big the entire sections/flanks of roof are, and how old they are as to whether it makes better financial sense to "rework" the areas, or simply re roof it all.

A roof CAN be your "friend"...rather than "that thing you hate".

Ice dams are caused by lack of insulation, poor attic ventilation and heat leaks into the attic.

The simplest way to prevent ice dams is to increase the attic insulation, increase attic ventilation and seal any holes that go into your attic from the living space below.

This includes sealing all holes where wires, chimneys, ducts, pipes, chases vents and other conduits allow heated air to enter the attic from the living space below.

By addressing these items, your roof will not have to be touched at all and no ice and water barrier will be reqwuired until your next re-roof..

Thanks for responding. What I found out is that I have soffits but I did not have a roof vent. THe heat was just rising to the top but had no where to go. I had a ridge vent installed. Almost instantly I noticed a change in the coolness in the house. It was like an easy bake over even when the air conditioner was running. I hope this will eleviate some of the moisture problems. Only time will tell. The roofer said that this should have been done a long time ago. I hope this solves some of my problems. I also asked him about an electric thermostat fan to put on the roof. He said that it would not be beneficial since the ridge vent and the electric fan would work against each other. The fan would just pull the heat from the ridge vent. Thanks guys.