Ice Dams - The Cause

Ice dams occur every winter in Ohio, and every year I receive phone calls about water inside of the home.

Ice dams are easy to spot from the outside of the home - there are large icicles that develop. Small icicles are OK in extreme temperatures - there is no such thing as a perfect home. However the large "club like" icicles are worrisome.

An ice dam results from warm air melting snow, however it freezes on the roof prior to falling off. This occurs mostly with extremely cold temperatures. The frozen "dam" prohibits the balance of the snow from melting above - resulting in water traveling behind the roofing shingles.

Once the water has made its way into the attic space, it travels along the joists to the next easiest place - the walls and ceiling.

HZG most recently had a call with one of the worst ice dams. The water flowed from the roof to the attic, down the wall - part rolled out on the ceiling, part rolled BACK outside and down the front door - where it froze again. So much so, that the front door froze shut.

Tomorrow I will explain preventative measures.