How To Fix Roof Leak From Ice Dam

The soffit that meets the roof is one of the toughest areas to waterproof.

How to fix roof leak from ice dam.

An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions. Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few. In the photo you can still see signs of an ice dam. Ice accumulates along the eaves forming a 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. Severe roof ice dam backups caused leaks into areas of this home. Hacking away at ice dams with a hammer chisel or shovel is bad for your roofing and dangerous for you. An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home.

Roof ice dam leak diagnosis repair. A dam will grow on the parts of the roof that are below freezing. What causes ice dams. A correct diagnosis of where leaks are occurring is helpful in making the right repair to stop ice dam leaks in the future.

Secondary ways to stop ice dam damage. The ice begins to back up under the roof shingles where it melts again soaking the roof sheathing and leaking into the attic. It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too. The higher surfaces of the roof s surface must be above 32 f and lower surfaces below 32 f.

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. Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the shingles and into the house. 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.

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. An ice dam occurs when snow melts and the water freezes when it hits the colder edges of your roof. There is yet another fix but it will not prevent ice dams only leaks from them. This roof leaks during the snowy part of winter and during storms in the summer certainly due to poor flashing.

And that is a covering of an ice and water shield a rubbery membrane that prevents dammed water from getting.