Ice Dam Cause and Effect

1/20/2020 (Permalink)

Remove wet materials near the affected area and place a fan to slow the leak and amount of damage until help arrives.

An ice dam is the ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof which prevents melting snow from draining as it should. Typically during the winter season, the temperature on the interior of the house is turned up to keep the inside warmer. As the heat rises and escapes into the highest level of your structure (typically the attic), the snow on the peak of the roof starts to melt. The water runs down the roof and begins to pool and refreeze the further away it gets from the heat source. This is why it is most common to see dams forming on the edges of roofs or in the gutters. 

Effects of an Ice Dam

Ice dams cause leaks when snow melts higher on the roof and that melt water hits a ‘dam’ of ice. With nowhere else to go, the water is forced to back up under the roofing materials and into the structure. Ice dams cause water to pool and seep under shingles. The wet building materials cannot dry out quickly enough to keep mold from growing.

There are plenty of warning signs that your house will exhibit to alert you to a possible ice dam.

• You see long/large icicles forming on the edge of the roof, or off the front edge of the gutter
• Ice is coming through the soffit of your roof
• Ice is forming behind the gutters
• You see ice or water on the exterior wall
• You see water coming through the frame of a door or window
• You see water coming through the ceiling or interior wall

Now that you are armed with this knowledge, you can prepare for this winter. Do some research on preventative maintenance, find a quality roofer, and keep SERVPRO of Wilson/Nashville on your speed-dial!