Ice Dam Roof Leak Fix

It melts the ice away without damaging the roofing.

Ice dam roof leak fix.

When that blocked water from melted snow or ice cannot escape off of the roof it can accumulate and can back up to a depth that causes the water to find an opening to leak into the building. If a leak is difficult to find enlist a helper and go up on the roof with a garden hose. We have found that the only way to cure an ice dam and prevent one in the first place is to. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position.

The lower roof formed ice dams that sent so much water leaking into the roof wall over a window that water was entering the home interior. For example soak the downhill side of a chimney first then each side then the top on both sides. Isolate areas when you run the hose. Here we describe the steps in getting the water under control and stopping the ice dam leak.

Meltwater from the warm roof backs up behind it flows under the. Snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves. So it s usually a process of trying to improve each to the greatest extent practical. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams.

5 steps to handling ice dam damage first get rid of any built up snow using a roof rake used for single family homes with pitched roofs or shoveling it. Start low soaking the area just above where the leak appears in the house. Adding insulation and improving ventilation are cornerstones of fixing ice dam leaks. Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter.

See below for a shopp. Insulate the living space well enough to prevent conduction and convection of heat. In an ideal world every steep sloped roof would have ample ventilation and ample insulation. Fill the leg of discarded pair of panty hose with a calcium chloride ice melter.

Seal all points where warm air leaks from the living space into the spaces immediately below the roof sheathing. If you have leakage from an ice dam and can t rake the snow off the roof the best way to get rid of the ice dam is to hire a roofing company to steam it off. Next remove the ice dam by breaking it free in small chunks. Ice accumulates along the eaves forming a dam.

A steamer is like a pressure washer except that the water is hot. Heat collects in the attic and warms the roof except at the eaves. In the real world one or both is often constrained. This article illustrates the successful control of an ice dam leak on an older home.