Battling Old Man Winter

January 17, 2025 / Mike Hoskins / Comments Off

The beauty of winter brings picturesque scenes, a white Christmas, and the fun of winter activities. When we have winters with fluctuating temperatures, our homes can be quietly under attack from the melting snow and ice. Left unattended, snow and ice build up can create all kinds of damage outside and inside the home. Issues ranging from damaged shingles, damage to gutters and downspouts, water seepage into the home, to creating an environment for mold to form.

An ice dam is a thick ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof. It prevents melting snow from draining off, forcing the melted water to seep underneath shingles. The water can leak into your home, damaging insulation, walls and ceilings.

Here are some suggestions from This Old House and energystar.gov on how to remove and prevent them.

Why ice dams form

Ice dams form when heat from your attic warms the roof, but not the eaves. The uneven temperatures cause the snow on the warm roof to melt and then freeze on the colder eaves. This refreezing water gradually builds up forming a growing ridge of ice.

What to do if you have an ice dam

Call an expert. A roofing professional can break the dam into small pieces with the least amount of damage to your roof.
Rake your roof. Remove the snow from your roof using a roof rake or push broom.
Use calcium chloride to melt the ice. Fill the leg of a pair of pantyhose with this ice-melting compound and tie it off. Then place it vertically across the dam, so it slightly hangs over the gutter. This will slowly melt the ice and create a path for water to flow. Do not use rock salt, which can cause damage.

Install roof deicing cables. When installed properly, they melt the ice creating enough space for water to run into your gutters and off your roof.

Put safety first! Do not get on the roof to clear the dam and do not stand underneath the dam to chip away at the ice. You can damage your roof or seriously injure yourself.

How to prevent an ice dam

You can clean out your gutters before the first snowfall to reduce the severity of ice dams. The best way to prevent ice dams is to tackle the problem from the inside of your house.

Ensure proper exhausting. Exhaust vents from inside the home should lead outdoors through the roof or walls, not the eaves.

To keep heat from escaping to your roof:

Make sure your attic is well ventilated. Ventilate eaves and ridges. Check to see if insulation is blocking ventilation.

Seal air leaks. Cap attic hatches and whole-house fans. Flash around the chimney. Seal ducts.

Add more insulation in your attic. Keep the heat where it belongs — inside your house. Check with your building department to see how much insulation you need.

Insulate the attic access. Make sure to insulate and seal attic access doors.