Nervous About Ice Dams
chisue
5 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (8)
Elizabeth
5 years agoWinter
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Ice-Dams, etc..
Comments (8)The winter of '11 was the worst in our 25 yrs in MA. We were closing on the house on2/28/11 and we had 5 weeks in a row with major storms. I had 4' of snow on the roof and in 25 yrs had never had a problem with ice dams or interior damage. Yes, clean the gutter and downspouts. Yes, check to make sure the insulation is laid correctly in the attic. Neighbors all over the area were loosing downspouts and gutters and suffering internal damage. You couldn't find peopel to beat the ice off the roof and if you could it frequently resulted in damage to the shingles/down sports and gutters. I had to have a contractor in to repair a wall and ceiling in the M bath. With the closing just a couple weeks away I had to do something. I took 100' of garden hose, connected it to my tankless water heater. Installed a spray nozzle with a shower like pattern. Oh, first I shoveled the roof off. No small job on a 3000sq ft house. I began spraying hot water at the low end ( downspout end) of the roof. I ran hot water for 3 1/2 hours. At the end the roof was as clean as a summer day. There was no shingle or gutter damage. The neighbors, who thought and were possible correct, that I was nuts were asking for my help. Two things. Spray the water from the outside to the inside. Otherwise you will build up water above the ice dam creating more problems than you solve. Cut bread loaves, again to allow water to run off. One more thing. The back of my house was three stories to the ground. The front only two. Don't fall off the roof. A side benefit was that the water run off melted the ice in the driveway. This just demonstrates that well and truly, there is more than one way to skin a cat!...See MoreIce damming !! Desperate for advice 911!!!
Comments (11)Coffeemama - I’m not sure you understand the reason for the ice dams. We had ice dams this year as well with water damage too. Even with freezing temperatures, if the insulation under your roof is not adequate, the heat is escaping through the roof and melting the snow. We had a hard time finding a contractor. I had a list of 10 from Angie’s List and went down the list. Had a couple of tentative promises to come and then no shows. We finally got an appointment for 5 days after the initial water started leaking. While we were waiting for them to come, I just couldn’t watch water keep coming into the house, so we called a local hardware store where we had received reliable advice in the past. They advised us to try to rake some of the snow off that we could reach without getting on the roof. And to buy pantyhose and calcium chloride and fill the stockings with that and place along the gutters on the ice. We called a family member to come and help, who advised that we get a ladder ‘stabilizer’ to add safety to putting the ladder against the house. They were able to get up to the gutters and using a roof rake pull off some of the snow they could reach and place the calcium filled stockings. This stopped the water from coming in and it stayed that way until the roofers came and got up on the roof and took all the snow off and knocked back some of the ice on the gutters. This was on the back of our cape that has a dormer on the back, so the roof is two stories high. In the front where the roofline is only one story high, my DH and son spent 5 hours pouring hot water on all the ice along the gutters in the front. It is a two person job, one person on the ladder, one ferrying the hot water pitchers back and forth. It did work though. Completely cleared the gutter in the front of ice. We could have done the same thing in the back, which is what we would have done if the calcium filled stockings had not done the trick. We've had to stay on top of it and keep getting the snow off the roof and take care of too much ice on the gutters. If I were you, I would call my home insurance policy holder and ask them to advise. They certainly don’t want you to continue to get water into your home and might have access to qualified contractors....See MoreHoover Dam, Oroville Dam, Oahe Dam...
Comments (3)I can relate to the the 'dam' thing pertaining to Ebay. I've been angry when my bid for something stood for days and someone else came in 25 cents higher right before the auction ended! I've done different strategies, maximum bid from the start, minimum bid and watched to see how high the bidding went, upping my bids so "watchers" might drop out, and increaseing my bid in the last 10 seconds. I have set my alarm clock to wake up at 1 am. to check on Ebay bidding before the auction ends. Crazy. I've never liked gambling. But Ebay...has made me understand the adrenaline rush, the high of "winning" and the disappointment of losing because of underbidding. I learned to be more circumspect about it after a awhile, and understand that sometimes simply the "Buy it now" price is better for my mental/emotional health - LOL....See MoreGetting ice dams after polyurethane insulation, is it normal?
Comments (11)Ice damming is typically caused by the existence of an area at the lowed "edge" of the roof that does not have warm air beneath coupled with the upper portion of the roof having somewhat warm air beneath. In the classic case there is an attic with eaves extending out beyond the sides of the home. With the loss of any heat in the attic thru the roof directly above there is the potential for melting of the snow. There is no heat, or at least virtually no heat, beneath the eaves area therefore the snow above does not melt. The melted snow from the large area of the roof above the attic flows down the roof until it reaches the colder eaves area. That water now freezes above the eaves, forming an ice dam. The water now backs up against the ice dam and when enough water collects , the water works itself under the shingles and may seep down into the outer walls or attic. The water has the potential to evidence itself in seemingly odd places. It may flow down inside the exterior wall and not be seen or hear until it becomes visible around a window in the basement. It might run along your attic floor and pool in a low point and ultimately bring down a plaster ceiling. In the OP's case, seems an attic is not in play, but heat may be lost thru the insulted great room ceiling and melt snow above. The eaves are presumably not conditioned so the potential exists for an ice dam to form. With foam insulation also in your outside walls I'm not sure what could happen as far as water getting inside that foam envelope, but the potential for roof sheathing damage would exist. On a nice warm day you could remove a bit of your eaves vinyl and inspect for any history of ice damming. Some things that can be done to prevent ice damming might include: additional attic/ceiling insulation; a membrane installed beneath the shingles for at least ~4 feet before shingling; adding thermostatically controlled electric resistive heating wires in a saw tooth pattern extending that 4 feet to maintain a draining channel. I'm not a roofer, but I'm sure roof35 or others can tidy up my reply and possibly add other ideas....See Moremarylmi
5 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
5 years agofran1523
5 years agomaifleur01
5 years agoCherryfizz
5 years ago
Related Stories
PETSSo You're Thinking About Getting a Dog
Prepare yourself for the realities of training, cost and the impact that lovable pooch might have on your house
Full StoryMATERIALSInsulation Basics: What to Know About Spray Foam
Learn what exactly spray foam is, the pros and cons of using it and why you shouldn’t mess around with installation
Full StoryCONTRACTOR TIPSBuilding Permits: What to Know About Green Building and Energy Codes
In Part 4 of our series examining the residential permit process, we review typical green building and energy code requirements
Full StoryLIFEGet the Family to Pitch In: A Mom’s Advice on Chores
Foster teamwork and a sense of ownership about housekeeping to lighten your load and even boost togetherness
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNA Cook’s 6 Tips for Buying Kitchen Appliances
An avid home chef answers tricky questions about choosing the right oven, stovetop, vent hood and more
Full StoryTHE POLITE HOUSEThe Polite House: How to Handle a Grievance With a Neighbor and an HOA
A condo resident complains about noise from a toddler out with her mom on a 7 a.m. dog walk. Does the mother have any recourse?
Full StoryKITCHEN COUNTERTOPSQuartz vs. Granite: The Battle of the Countertops
Read about the pros and cons — and see great examples — of these popular kitchen countertop materials
Full StoryTHE POLITE HOUSEThe Polite House: How to Handle Entertaining Around Marble Countertops
Worried about citrus drinks damaging your precious marble counters during a gathering? Here are 2 ways to party on
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES8 Open-Plan Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them
There’s much to love about relaxed open-living layouts, but they can be tricky to decorate. Get tips for making one work
Full StoryHOUZZ CALLHow Are You Passing the Time at Home Right Now?
Share your thoughts about how you are coping with stress and staying grateful during this difficult time
Full Story
chisueOriginal Author