Winter is upon us and with the snow comes the potential for “Ice Dams” and the resulting interior water damage.
So, What is an Ice Dam?
An Ice Dam is a condition that occurs after a snowfall, especially a snowfall of 6 or more inches. An ice dam occurs when the snow on your roof begins to melt and freezes quickly in your gutters or on the edges of your roof. The freezing causes a dam of ice to build up at the end of your roof and or in your gutters. This occurs because the heat from inside of your home escapes into your attic or unheated space above, causing the lower depths of snow on your roof to melt. As the water runs down your roof it hits the area of your roof where there is no longer any heat coming up and in the freezing temperatures, the water turns to ice, especially at night. As that ice builds up, it starts to create a dam and the water coming down begins to back up under your shingles. If the temperatures are well below freezing, you may not immediately see the damming because the ice continues to grow up your roof. During the daytime when temperatures go up, that ice begins to melt and eventually leaks into your home, created damages to your drywall, insulation, windows and even flooring.
This damage can be extensive, affecting several levels of your home, causing thousands of dollars in damages. If not properly mitigated this can result in mold as the insulation tends to absorb water, acting as a sponge. Many insurance company adjusters miss the hidden damage as they are not water mitigation professionals and do not carry the expensive moisture equipment necessary to detect the moisture behind walls and in ceilings.
How do I know if I have an ice dam if I don’t see any leaking? You will generally see icicles coming off of the eaves of your roof as in the pictures below. This does not necessarily mean you have water leaking in. It just means that you have an ice dam on the roof. If you have proper Ice and Water shield on the eaves of your roof, you should be ok in many cases, however, some larger storms can produce ice dams that back up further than the typical 3 feet of Ice and Water shield installed on your roof. The the combination of significant snowfall and the freezing temperatures afterward are more likely to produce ice dams.
What can you do to mitigate ice melting into your home? For starters, do not allow someone to go onto your roof with an ice pick, hammer or screw driver. They will usually and accidentally cause damage to your shingles and gutters. Furthermore, your roof is literally, a sheet of ice and someone can easily slide off and be injured or killed.
The best thing you can do is use a snow rake and pull the excess snow off of your roof so that stops the additional snow melt. Another tip is to add ice dam socks to your roof temporarily. An ice dam sock is ultimately the leg of a panty hose cut and filled with calcium chloride and tied at the end. These socks are placed vertically on the eave of your roof 2-3’ apart and slightly drooped a few inches over the race or gutter. These socks melt the ice under them, creating channels for the melting water to flow off the roof without freezing. Once the water stops and the snow and ice is melted off of your roof, remove the socks.
How do I prevent Ice Dams from happening?
1. Proper Ice and water shield is a code requirement in NY since the early 90s. It is to be placed on the eaves of any heated structure to at least 1’ beyond the interior wall. Typically 3’ is sufficient, but on some roofs, 3’ may not be enough, depending on the depth of your soffits and the pitch of your roof. If you do not have ice and water shield on your roof currently, when it is time to replace the roof, make sure to have it installed.
2. Snow guards/shields are an alternative, especially in more cold and snowy area, especially in the mountains or areas north of the Hudson Valley. This does not take the place of Ice and Water shield. It is used in addition to it.
3. Proper insulation in the attic or space above your ceiling. Code in NY varies between R38 and up depending which zone you live in and sometimes from city to city. The reason that the snow on a roof melts from below is because the home is poorly insulated. If heat escapes into your attic it heats the underside of your roof which melts the snow on it. The less insulated, the more the heat escapes through the attic and roof and the more the snow will melt. If your roof is poorly insulated, you will notice that the snow melts on your roof quicker than it does on the roofs of many of your neighbors. Look at the roofs in your neighborhood a day to few days after a storm and you will notice whose home is insulated well and whose home isn’t. The more snow on the roof, the better insulated it is. Many factors are involved with proper insulation. An insulation company can easily detect where loss of heat occurs. If you have access to a thermal imaging camera, you can see it for yourself.
If you have sustained a loss from Ice Damming, call us for a free consultation. Cornerstone Adjusting, LLC can take the stress of handling an insurance claim off of your shoulder and ensure the maximum benefit for your claim. Our Public Adjusters are experienced adjusters who work for you, not the insurance company.
Don’t let the insurance company control the outcome of your claim. Unlike the insurance company, we really are on your side.
Call us today: (845)541-5000