WHAT IS AN ICE DAM?
- An Ice Dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions. An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home. It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.
- Ice Dams are a common sight in North Jersey winters. There are several things you can do to avoid getting an ice dam or to reduce the risk of damage after one has formed, but there’s really only one cure: a combination of better sealing, insulation, and venting in the attic and eaves.
HOW DO ICE DAMS FORM?
- An ice dam forms when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the underside of the layer of snow on the roof. The water trickles down between the layer of snow and the shingles until it reaches the eave of the roof, which stays cold because it extends beyond the side of the house. There, the water freezes, gradually growing into a mound of ice.
WHY SHOULD I CLEAN MY GUTTERS
- The gutters play an important part when ice dams form. If the gutters are clogged with debris before the snow falls there is a cushion for the snow and ice to build up. Heavy snow and ice can cause your gutters to to come away from the fascia. Make sure that your gutters are tightly secured before the winter. Keltom Gutters offers gutter repair service
WHAT DAMAGE DO ICE DAMS CAUSE?
- When an ice dam gets big enough, melted water backs up behind it and seeps underneath the shingles. Eventually, it will drip into the insulation and down into the ceilings and exterior walls beneath the eave, ruining sheet rock and paint. If the ice dam breaks free, it can pull shingles and gutters off with it, and it will damage anything it falls on: shrubs, windowsills, cars, pets, and people. If the roof sheathing stays wet, it can form mildew and start to rot.
HOW CAN YOU DEAL WITH AN ICE DAM?
There are two avenues of attack: dealing with an existing ice dam and preventing one in the first place.
DEALING WITH EXISTING ICE DAMS
- Remove the ice dam by breaking it free in small chucks. Do NOT use an ax or other sharp tool! You’ll cut through the shingles OR bend you gutters. Instead, tap lightly with a blunt mallet. This is slow, dangerous work, so hire someone experienced at roofing. Even if you do it safely, the chunks of ice can take pieces of shingle with them.
- Clear out gutters and downspouts. Again, this is ladder work and an easy way to damage either plastic or metal gutters and spouts.
- Melt troughs through the ice dam with calcium chloride ice melter. Do NOT use rock salt! It will damage paint, metals, and plants beneath the eave and wherever the salty water drains.
PREVENTING ICE DAM
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