The damage done by ice dams is pretty intuitive to diagnose with a few tools and some experience.
Fix roof damage from ice dam.
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.
It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.
In the short run.
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.
Other types of snow damage.
Ice dams cannot crack unseal or damage roof shingles.
If you have a severe windstorm or hailstorm be sure to check your roof for damage before the snow starts to fall.
For an ice dam to form there must be snow.
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.
Ice dams are not known to cause damage to anything other than the immediate roof area.
Hammers axes picks and torches are cheaper methods of ice dam removal.
We use steam to remove ice dams.
Next snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves.
Any other method is tremendously risky to your roof.
Ice dam protection and prevention.
First heat collects in the attic and warms the roof except at the eaves.
Here s a breakdown of the conditions that lead to the formation of ice dams.
Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few.
First get rid of any built up snow using a roof rake used for single family homes with pitched roofs or shoveling it off on flat roofs or when there s a significant amount.
The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas.
5 steps to handling ice dam damage.
When this is the case water will find its way into your house.
Aptly named they act as a dam for the water created by melting snow and prevent it from draining into the gutters.
What causes ice dams.
Life of an ice dam.
Life of an ice dam.
If you suspect an ice dam developed on your roof there are things you can do right away to minimize the 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.