RestorationsSOS.com - Fire and Water Damage Restoration

Ice Dams

By Kimberly Duncan
Published: May 5, 2006

An ice dam is a common problem of building maintenance in cold climates. Ice dams occur when snow accumulates on the slanted roof of a structure with inadequate insulation and poor attic ventilation.

Ice dams can lead to leaky roof, wet, ineffective insulation, stains and cracks in plaster or drywall, rotting timber and, peeling paint.

What Causes Ice Dams?

Warmth coming up through the roof melts the snow, accumulated on the roof during cold seasons. Melt water flows down the roof, under a "blanket" of snow, into the gutter, where they freeze due to colder conditions. Eventually, ice accumulates in the gutter stopping melting snow from draining properly.

For ice dams to occur there must be snow on the roof, and, at the same time, higher portions of the roof's external surface must be above 32° F while lower surfaces are below 32°F.

Preventing Ice Dams

Generally, ice dams can be prevented by controlling the heat loss from a structure. To control heat loss from your structure you must check the insulation periodically and make sure that it is properly installed and not damaged or wet.

Once wet, insulation must be dried out. In some cases, and depending on the extent of the damage, you might need to discard the insulation and replace it with new insulation.

Dealing with Ice Dams

Dealing with ice dams requires standing on the roof during winter is extremely dangerous. It is important to hire professionals to perform this job.

Immediate Action
Immediate action is required if an ice dam creates immediate problems such as water flow into the structure. In this case, have snow removed from your roof. By doing so you will eliminates one of the causes of ice dams.

To eliminate the second cause you will have to create channels through the ice dam to allow water behind the dam to drain off the roof. Try running tap or warmer water into the drain to melt down the ice. Work upward from the lower end of the dam.

Long-term action
Keep in mind that the solutions mentioned above are only temporary and that they will become ineffective within days.

For longer lasting solutions, increase the roof insulation on both sides to reduce heat loss by conduction. Tighten up the ceiling air so no warm air can flow from the house into the attic space.

This solution may create another problem, structural stability. As these techniques will increase the snow load on your roof, you will have to make sure that your roof can carry because the additional load. However, if your roof is built to current codes, there should not be any structural stability problem.

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