ICE DAMS – what are they and prevention.

I recently was working with potential buyers after a heavy winter snow and they commented on the large icicles hanging off of several homes. I explained to them this was probably an ice dam and can cause minor to major damage in homes. There response was “what is an ice dam?” It made me realize once again it is critical for buyer’s to work with broker’s who know what to look for inside and outside of homes which are exposed to severe incremental weather like snow and freezing temperatures.

The potential of an ice dam is one example of a problem buyer’s would never know to consider when purchasing a home in the summer months. This is one reason for ordering a roof inspection if a home inspection reveals water stains in the attic or rooms in a home.

What is an ice dam? What causes it? What type of damage can they cause? What is the best way to repair and prevent an ice dam?

An ice dam occurs after a heavy snowfall and several days of freezing temperatures. Warm air inside a home leaks into the attic and warms the underside of the roof causing snow and ice on the roof to melt. The melted water drains along the roof, under the snow, until it reaches the cold overhang. The overhang tends to be at the same temperature as the outdoors and the melted water will refreeze and form an ice dam and icicles. A result is that a little wall of ice builds up at the edge, and when ice and snow behind it melts and refreezes and melts and refreezes, it is pushed back up under the shingles or slate, leaking into seams and potentially tearing up the roof and leaking into the house. The ice dam can cause damage to the roof, which will result in water leaks to the inside. Frequently the result will be a water spot on the ceiling under the roof damage.

Today new codes require the use of an underlay; homeowners should make sure this is used. If it isn’t, removing the bottom three, four or five feet of your roof can be expensive.

IF you have an older home there is one way to check if you are at risk for ice dams, just noticing how the snow melts off your roof can give you an important clue about your attic.

If there’s a heavy snowfall and you see all the neighboring houses have snow evenly covering there roof and you have a big bare patch where snow has melted, that’s not a good sign. IF snow is melting unevenly or irregularly compared to other homes in the area, that’s a really strong indication that you’ve got an insulation issue.

www.disastersafety.org- recommends that the temperature in an attic should be no more that 10 degrees warmer that the outside air, otherwise, the heat escaping through the roof could encourage ice damming. The floor of the attic should be well-insulated, to keep heat in the house.

Prevention:

Clear gutters and downspouts so that any snowmelt has somewhere to go. Point them away from the foundation so that water doesn’t collect in window wells or lower level stairways.

DON”T get on your roof to solve the problem, it could be dangerous.

Avoid standing on the ground and chipping away at ice icicles. Not only could this cause damage to your roof, but you can be seriously injured by falling ice, debris and tools.

Contacting a roofing contractor to fix your roof leak may not prevent future ice dams. Do hire a contractor who is an energy specialist or specializes in air sealing to do an in-home evaluation. A good specialist will use diagnostic equipment to evaluate the performance of your home and generate a costumed list of improvements.

An experienced real estate broker who knows how to explain the plus’s and minus’s of a home in snow country is an asset to any buyer. Chris and Patti Plastiras are those brokers.