How To Fix Roof Leak From Ice Dam

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.

How to fix roof leak from ice dam.

A dam will grow on the parts of the roof that are below freezing. This article describes illustrates the steps in pinpointing the point of water entry from a roof ice dam leak. 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.

The higher surfaces of the roof s surface must be above 32 f and lower surfaces below 32 f. It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too. An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions. In the photo you can still see signs of an ice dam.

Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few. Severe roof ice dam backups caused leaks into areas of this home. For an ice dam to form there must be snow on the roof. Snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves.

Poor ventilation and temperature control in the attic can also cause ice dams. Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house. A correct diagnosis of where leaks are occurring is helpful in making the right repair to stop ice dam leaks in the future. This roof leaks during the snowy part of winter and during storms in the summer certainly due to poor flashing.

An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home. Ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam. The soffit that meets the roof is one of the toughest areas to waterproof. 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. An ice dam occurs when snow melts and the water freezes when it hits the colder edges of your roof. Roof ice dam leak diagnosis repair. The ice begins to back up under the roof shingles where it melts again soaking the roof sheathing and leaking into the attic.

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.