If you suspect an ice dam developed on your roof there are things you can do right away to minimize the damage.
Fix roof damage from ice dam.
For an ice dam to form there must be snow.
We use steam to remove ice dams.
The damage done by ice dams is pretty intuitive to diagnose with a few tools and some experience.
Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow water from draining off the roof.
When this is the case water will find its way into your house.
It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.
If roof shingles have been blown off in a windstorm or damaged in a hail storm or other event then melting snow can leak into the roof and cause the same types of damage that an ice dam can cause.
First heat collects in the attic and warms the roof except at the eaves.
An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home.
If you have a severe windstorm or hailstorm be sure to check your roof for damage before the snow starts to fall.
In the short run.
Ice dams cannot crack unseal or damage roof shingles.
5 steps to handling ice dam damage.
Other types of snow damage.
More here ice dam repairs.
An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions.
Life of an ice dam.
Next snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves.
As some of these problems such as snow sun and wind are unavoidable the surefire solution to preventing water damage due to ice damming is to include a waterproof membrane below your final roof covering at the bottom edge of the roof.
Here s a breakdown of the conditions that lead to the formation of ice dams.
An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof typically at the gutters or soffit.
Life of an ice dam.
After one ice dam occurrence shingle seals that have been lifted by expanding ice may not reseal causing future failures earlier with smaller amounts of ice and water.
The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas.
Ice dam protection and prevention.
Aptly named they act as a dam for the water created by melting snow and prevent it from draining into the gutters.
Ice dams are not known to cause damage to anything other than the immediate roof area.
Any other method is tremendously risky to your roof.
