Preventing Damage From Ice Dams

12/12/2024 (Permalink)

Icicles can be a sign that an ice dam is forming on your structure.

It's that dam time of year again!

Ice dams (wait, did you think I was talking about something else?) can form when snow refreezes after it starts to melt, which forms a barrier against proper draining of the melted snow, which can cause water damage to the inside or outside of your home or business under freezing temperatures. 

Water from melting ice dams can leak into attics or closets before the damage is even noticeable. 

Here are some ice dam damage prevention tips:

- Regularly clean gutters

- Keep your attic insulated

- Remove excess snow with a roof rake

- Remove the water pooled up behind the dam

(Chipping away at the ice dam directly creates risk of damaging the shingles underneath!) 

Now, you *can* try the old method of filling pantyhose with a calcium chloride melter (known as "salt socks") to create a flow channel for the water to run off the roof, but this method is not always effective. But spreading ice melters or rock salt directly onto the roof can create risk of corrosion and possibly reduce the lifespan of roof flashing, gutters, and downspouts. 

It's recommended to use steam to melt ice dams, which might require a professional, unless you have your own ice dam steamer.

The steamer converts cold water into low pressure steam and has a special nozzle that melts the ice entirely. 

We hope you have a dam good holiday and Winter season, involving absolutely no ice dams, but if you do, we can help with any resulting water damages.