How To Fix Roof Leak From Ice Dam

An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions.

How to fix roof leak from ice dam.

A dam will grow on the parts of the roof that are below freezing. Hacking away at ice dams with a hammer chisel or shovel is bad for your roofing and dangerous for you. And that is a covering of an ice and water shield a rubbery membrane that prevents dammed water from getting. Poor ventilation and temperature control in the attic can also cause ice dams.

There it soaks the insulation rendering it much less effective and can leak through the ceiling drywall below and into your living space. Secondary ways to stop ice dam damage. For an ice dam to form there must be snow on the roof. Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few.

This article describes illustrates the steps in pinpointing the point of water entry from a roof ice dam leak. A correct diagnosis of where leaks are occurring is helpful in making the right repair to stop ice dam leaks in the future. Severe roof ice dam backups caused leaks into areas of this home. 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.

Roof ice dam leak diagnosis repair. An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home. The higher surfaces of the roof s surface must be above 32 f and lower surfaces below 32 f. An ice dam occurs when snow melts and the water freezes when it hits the colder edges of your roof.

In the photo you can still see signs of an ice dam. The soffit that meets the roof is one of the toughest areas to waterproof. What causes ice dams. 5 steps to handling ice dam damage if you suspect an ice dam developed on your roof there are things you can do right away to minimize the damage.

There is yet another fix but it will not prevent ice dams only leaks from them. Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house. It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too. Rake the snow off the roof with a special roof rake install heat cables in ice dam prone valleys or other spots and to prevent leaks add special ice and water barrier when reroofing.

Snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves.