How to Deal with Ice Dams

2/12/2019 (Permalink)

If you live in Wisconsin, ice dams are a reality, especially when we have had large amounts of snow and temperatures that have fluctuated as much as they have this winter season.

How do Ice Dams form?

• Winter storms build up snow on the roof
• Heat from the building escapes through insulation, chimneys and roof vents or heat from the sun which causes the snow to melt
• The melted snow runs down roof lines to valleys and eaves
• The melted snow refreezes at the base of the valley and at the eaves or gutters
• As day/night time temperatures cycle up and down and heat loss melts the snow, the ice dams and icicles continue to grow

Once these roof and gutter ice dams form, subsequent water ponding behind the ice dam can lead to roof leaks, internal building damage and possible mold issues. Icicles can also cause lower roof damage, deck damage and people safety issues.

How do you deal with an existing ice dam?

• Remove the ice dam by breaking it free in small chunks. Do NOT use an ax or other sharp tool. You could cut through your shingles. Instead, tap lightly with a blunt mallet. This can be dangerous and take a while, so it’s recommended that you hire someone who is experienced in roofing.
• Clear out gutters and downspouts carefully. This work can cause damage to plastic or metal gutters and spouts
• Melt troughs through the ice dam with calcium chloride ice melter. Rock salt can damage paint, metals, and plants beneath the eave and wherever the salty water drains.
  • A good trough maker is a tube of cloth (a leg from an old pair of panty hose works well). Fill it with calcium chloride, tie off the top, and lay it vertically across the ice dam. It will slowly melt its way down through the dam, clearing a path for the underlying water to flow free.

How can you prevent an ice dam?

The above methods will treat the symptoms of an ice dam, but won’t fix the underlying issue, which is a warm roof caused by poor insulation and venting of the space under the roof. Here are some tips on how to prevent an ice dam from forming in the first place.

• add insulation to your attic
• remove attic heat sources
• insulate attic access doors
• check the exhausts
• check flashing around chimney

If you experience water damage in your home or business due to an ice dam, call in the experts at SERVPRO of North Kenosha County and we can make it “Like it never even happened.”