Ice Dams - Scary Source of Winter Water in Buffalo
If you are experiencing water coming into your Buffalo home during an ice damming incident, it can be scary, unsettling, and can cause a lot of damage. Ice dams form when snow on the roof melts, flows downhill and freezes over the lower parts of the roof and gutters. Eventually a large mass (dam) of ice forms along the edge of the roof. Melted snow backs up behind these dams and sits in a puddle on the roofing, backing up behind it and causing leaks.
Several things contribute to the formation of ice dams. The problem starts with uneven temperatures on the roof caused by heat loss from the building’s interior, a problem that may require extra insulation to solve. Gaps around plumbing vents, light fixtures, and electrical wiring can act like chimneys, siphoning heated interior air into the attic. A warm attic heats the roof, melting snow from the top of the roof down.
Even with proper insulation and no air leakage, some heat will inevitably rise into the attic space, which is where ventilation comes into play. Proper ventilation will let heat escape the attic space before it has a chance to cause excessive snow melt.
A sloped ceiling presents a separate set of circumstances but the same principles still apply- adequate insulation, and adequate ventilation. Ventilation in this case requires an air space between the insulation and the roof sheathing, in addition to vents at the lower and upper parts of the roof.
Electrical heat cables or heat tapes can be part of a solution for the ice damming, too. Low-temperature tapes provide constant heat to provide a path for snowmelt to leave to roof. They should be considered only after all other conditions have been corrected.
Keeping gutters clear of debris will help melted snow find a clear path off the roof.
“Ice shield” and similarly-named products consist of a sheet of “rubberized” roofing material which comes in various widths, and is installed underneath the shingles at the eaves and at any area where extra protection is desired such as in valleys and around skylights. It is usually installed while the roof is being shingled, although it can be installed later, by removing existing shingles, installing the ice-guard, and then re-installing new shingles on top, over the ice guard.
A few ideas to help stop the water: all involve making a way for water to get past the ice dam. Piles of ice melter calcium chloride placed at points on the ice to create melt point may do the trick. There are a few commercial products that might help that are basically chunks of calcium chloride that you throw onto the roof. Shoveling off melting snow. Obviously this is dangerous. Do not attempt to chop through the ice this always results in roof and gutter damage. Water entering the house may gather behind finish paint and cause a bubble. OK to pop the bubble and let the water out.
Even the sun can contribute to ice dam formation by melting the snow on the sunny sides of the roof. More sunshine is a problem most of us would like to have, but it can make the problem worse.
