Ice Dam Dilemmas

1/11/2022 (Permalink)

Ice Dam Life Cycle

Got An Ice Dam Dilemma?

Over this past week, we were hit hard with a substantial amount of ice and snow! It was beautiful while it lasted, but the storm may have left behind a mess for home and business owners!

A lot of water damages that occur in the winter are due to frozen pipes, but many people don't realize the effects ice dams can have on a home or business as well. Ice dams form when melting snow, caused by heated air, flows down the roof but gets blocked behind still-frozen ice. Once the water is trapped and cannot continue to flow or run into the gutter system, it backflows underneath the shingles on the roof and down into the interior areas of the home or business. To further explain, here is the process, broken down further, in an ice dam life cycle.

Ice Dam Life Cycle:

• Birth
• Heat builds in the attic and warms the roof, except at the eaves.
• Growth
• Snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves.
• Maturity
• Ice accumulates along the eaves, forming a dam.
• Melted water from the warm roof backs up behind it, flows underneath the shingles, and into the interior areas of the house.

Understanding how ice dams form will help home and business owners better prepare or fix them. Here are some helpful tips on how to prevent ice dams from building up on your roof. 

Preventative Ice Dam Tips:

• Tip #1
• Check to make sure the insulation installed in your home or business is at least a R-38 rating. 
• Tip #2
• Ensure that the attic remains sealed around the plumbing, wiring, and exhaust fans. 
• Tip #3
• Remove debris on and around the vents, soffits, roof, gutters, and downspouts debris to eliminate the blockage of melted runoff snow.
• Tip #4
• Purchase a roof rake to help knock snow off the roof and deter dangerous accumulation.

Call SERVPRO of Jackson/Crockett at 731-423-9944 if you are dealing with the aftermath of last week’s snowstorm! You don’t have to face water damage alone!

We will make your water loss “Like it never even happened.”