Are You Causing or Preventing Ice Dams on Your Roof?

A closeup of ice damming in NY.

Ice Damming can Cause Water Damage to the Interior of a Home

Ice damming creates more than just exterior damage to the rain gutter system, but also causes water to leak into the attic, soaking the wood, insulation, the flooring/upstairs ceiling, and even the valuables being stored up there.

Dr. Energy Saver Syracuse can prevent this all from happening by keeping the roof cold -- by sealing air leaks and improving the attic insulation.

If your home is experiencing ice dams, call us for a free inspection and estimate to prevent ice dams in the future.

Damage from An Ice Dam

Ice dams are common wherever rooftop snow has a day or two to become the telltale "icicles at the roof's edge."

Once developed, water often seeps into the attic, soaking the wall insulation, interior ceiling, and wall surfaces. Such ice accumulation outside the house can ruin gutters and even pose a safety hazard.

Homeowners' stress becomes understandable when a "perfectly good" house suddenly sustains hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of damage. However, once you understand the causes of an ice dam you can take these few simple steps to be sure not to cause one in the future.

What Causes an Ice Dam?

If there's an attic hatch or drop-down stair that hasn't been well sealed or insulated, lots of warm air will leak up into this area, causing more snow to melt on the roof surface immediately above.

In addition, the roof will always be coldest along the edge because it projects beyond the exterior walls, where heat from the house isn't available.

The first step: snow accumulation, closely followed by a warming rooftop and melting snow.

As we all know, the deeper the snow the deeper the trouble. Snow that melts in upper areas of the roof freezes at the eaves, forming icicles, filling gutters with ice, and creating a "ridge" or "dam" that can channel melted water into the attic and living space.

A roof begins to heat up when the warm air from the lower living spaces leaks into the attic, view example to right. The snow will begin to melt unevenly -- because some parts of the roof will be warmer than others.

In fact, the roof edge is where the melted water re-freezes and forms an ice dam. Sometimes, water freezes in the gutters, filling them with ice.

In other situations, the water freezes right at the edge of the roof before it even reaches the gutters. Either way, the resulting ridge of ice forms a dam that creates a reservoir of water. When this happens, it's only a matter of time before the water seeps beneath roof shingles and leaks into the attic.

Ice Damming Solutions in NY

If your guests have to dodge icicles while walking to your front door, your home has already fallen victim to ice damming. With the appropriate air sealing and attic insulation, your Dr. Energy Saver Syracuse expert will have your home's roof warming up and the icicles formations in remission. Your guests no longer have to run to the door with trash can lids above their heads for protection.

Related Pages:

• Attic Insulation
• Home Insulation