Dealing with Ice Dams On Your Home

dealing with ice damsSnow accumulation and freezing temperatures work together to create one pesky three letter word that no homeowner likes – ice. Ice comes in the form of black ice, icicles, and ice dams. Only one threatens your home. Can you guess which one?

Ice dams are solid, thick ridges that form around the eaves, break off, and cause damage to gutters, shingles and interrupt the house’s natural run-off system. When this happens, water backs up and pours into your home. An equal-opportunity destroyer, ice dams cause paint to peel, ceilings to sag, floors to stain, and can promote mold growth.

So, how do you deal with these ice dams? We’re glad you asked because damage due to ice dams is one of the leading causes for homeowner’s insurance claims during winter.

DIY Ice Dam Solutions

  1. Take a box fan into the attic and aim it where the water is actively leaking in. The cold air will freeze the water and equalize the temperature of the roof to be the same as the eaves.
  2. Pull off snow with a long-handled aluminum roof rake.
  3. Fill pantyhose with calcium chloride, have it melt through the snow and ice to create a channel for water to run-off.

Expert Ice Dam Solutions

Best installed by a professional contractor, the following solutions are permanent ways of dealing with ice dams:

  1. Ventilate the eaves with a ridge vent paired with continuous soffit vents to create a consistent flow of cold air under the entire roof.
  2. Cover unsealed attic hatches with weather-stripped caps
  3. Have the exhaust from the ducts lead outdoors through the roof or walls, not through the soffit.
  4. Add more insulation to your attic, preferably before cold weather hits
  5. Replace any old-style recess lights with sealed “IC” fixtures which can be covered with insulation
  6. Install L-shaped steel flashing around chimneys
  7. Seal and insulate all ducts. Spread fiber-reinforced mastic on the joints of all ducts and cover them entirely with R-5 or R-6 foil-faced fiberglass.
  8. Seal around the electrical cables and vent pipes.

Homeowner Insurance Coverage for Ice Dams

If you do need to put in a homeowner’s insurance claim your policy should cover the damage to the interior of your home, such as the flooring, ceiling and walls.

For more information, give H&K Insurance a call at 617-612-6500.