Icicles Means You Have Ice Dams!

2/11/2020 (Permalink)

Removing ice dams and cleaning up the associated mess inside is what SERVPRO is all about!

If you have Icicles, you have ice dams!

Q: Why do ice dams form?

A: When your roof vents are overrun with snow, the vents do not allow warm air from the attic to escape. The heat builds up in your attic. Since the heat has nowhere to go, your roof deck heats up and melts the snow pack at the roof surface.

The melted snow runs down your (warm) roof and turns to ice on the unheated eaves. This ice pack builds and builds until it backs up under your shingles...once it gets backed up past the place the exterior walls meet the roof, the warm roof deck melts the ice from underneath and the result is "loose" water that penetrates the roof deck and works its way down the roof line (inside the attic) to your exterior walls.

Take a look outside. If you see ice working its way between siding and window joints, you already have water in your wall cavities! Your insulation is wet, the framing is wet, and the wall sheathing is wet.

Sitting in your walls behind the vapor barrier, this moisture cycles between freezing, evaporating, and condensing, a situation that is ideal for mold growth! If left unchecked, you can have a widespread mold problem and not know it.

Q:  So, what to do about ice dams?

(1) Make sure your roof vents are cleared regularly. Just one big snow fall can clog them. Especially ridge vents.

(2) Shovel the roof to make sure the eaves are cleared 6-8' back from the edge.

(3) If you do get ice dams, call SERVPRO to have them removed with gentle steam. Do NOT try to break them up with a hammer or use salt. This can cause damage to your roofing materials.

(4) If you see water dripping through a ceiling or wall, the good news is interior water damage from ice dams is generally covered by insurance. Check with your agent to verify coverage and file a claim. Call SERVPRO of the Twin Ports (218) 727-2575 immediately to remove the ice dams from the roof then address affected walls and insulation, get the interior sheathing and framing dry, and replace the interior insulation, vapor barrier, and wall materials, repaint, re-trim etc.

SERVPRO is here to make your ice dam event "Like it never even happened."

Sometimes roof repairs or insulation removal in the attic may be necessary to correct water intrusion problems.

If you have any of these issues right now, please send us photos and give us a call for a free immediate consultation by phone.

email: k_buck@SERVPROtwinports.com.

Phone: (218) 464-8315

Ice dams and the damage they cause can be a difficult challenge to solve, but our crews at SERVPRO of the Twin Ports are standing by ready to help!