How to prevent Ice dams in your Lebanon home!

9/11/2019 (Permalink)

Water damage issues can be a year round problem in New England, but Winter is right around the corner,and that presents it's own set of challenges that homeowners need to deal with.

Ice dams being one!

According to Wikipedia "An ice dam is an ice build-up on the eaves of sloped roofs of heated buildings that results from melting snow under a snow pack reaching the eave and freezing there. Freezing at the eave impedes the drainage of meltwater, which adds to the ice dam and causes backup of the meltwater, which may cause water leakage into the roof and consequent damage to the building and its contents if the water leaks through the roof".

Prevention is the key to tackling this problem and there are precautions that we can take.

1. Remove snow from roof using a roof rake.This eliminates a key component in ice dam formation.
2. Assure that you have sufficient insulation your roof to prevent freezing at the roof surface under a deep snow pack.
3. Make sure to have sufficient ventilation in your attic so that the hot air can escape. This is needed to have a cold roof (below 30 F) to prevent melting.
4. Make sure to have plenty of insulation in your attic floor as well. This will minimize the warming of the attic through heat loss of your living space.
5. Wherever possible,especially in ceilings; seal possible air leaks. This works in conjunction with the insulation.
6. Before Winter strikes, clean those gutters. Keeping them free of debris will allow a place for the melting snow to go.
7. Keep some Calcium or Magnesium Chloride on hand. This can be used on an ice dam when you see it starting.

Northeast winters can be really hard on homes and even with all of these precautions, ice dams can happen; and with it comes the potential for water leaking into your home.

If you suspect that you may have water leaking into your home or find evidence of wet insulation, give SERVPRO of Lebanon/Hanover/Littleton a call today at 603-298-6942. We're available 24 hours a day.

Like it never even happened