Improperly insulated homes are just as bad as under insulated homes when it comes to ice dams. See photo of gutter ice damaged by an ice dam.It’s important to initiate gutter ice removal sooner, then later.įiction: When it comes to insulation, the more the better. Fresh water ice weighs about 60 pounds per cubic foot and gutters are not designed to tolerate that sort of load. A section of otherwise fine gutter is either on the ground or hanging pathetically off the edge of the roof, filled with ice. We provide ice dam removal for many homes each year that do not have gutters.įact: Gutter systems can be damaged by gutter ice. If you don’t have gutters, the ice dam simply builds on the cold edge of the roof. If you have gutters they will fill with ice and provide a foundation for the ice dam above. If your home is prone to ice dams you will get them either way. The truth is gutters have nothing whatsoever to do with ice dams. Of course it is most often the case the thick snow accumulations create ice dams more quickly.įiction: Gutters have something to do with ice dams. Even a dusting of snow can create a problem.
It takes very little actual moisture to form ice dams. Towards that end, here are some common misconceptions about ice dams, roof snow, roof ice and gutter ice removal.įact: Ice dams can occur with virtually no snow on your roof. Our goal here is to be the single definitive source for all things relating to ice dams. There is a lot of misinformation out there on the topic of ice dams. Depressing video of ice dam leaking into bay window after home was re-roofed improperly. Here are some common forms of damage done by ice dams. It’s better to bite the bullet and address things before you have a real problem on your hands. If you do, you will have to wait in line to get your ice dam removed, which can sometimes be a matter of days or weeks. Don’t wait until ice dams are on the news or in the Star Tribune. When you think you may have a problem, it’s time to call The Ice Dam Company. Tips on preventing damage: Preventing damage from an ice dam is pretty straight forward. Because no two houses are the same, it is common to have neighboring homes on two ends of the ice dam spectrum one may have major leaking, while the other is virtually unaffected. Factors such as ventilation, insulation, solar orientation, tree coverage, home architecture, snow cover, home owner lifestyle and of course weather conditions all interact to determine ice dam activity on every home. This heat builds up and eventually melts snow on the roof, which, as described above runs to the cold edge of the roof and forms an ice dam. Short answer: Roof ice and ice dams result from the escape of heat into the attic or roof space See a visual of the warning signs here.
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