Ice Dam In Attic

Heavy snow coverage on the roof acting as a layer of insulation preventing heat loss.

Ice dam in attic. Attic ventilation is usually the easiest way to prevent ice damming yet it is the step most often omitted. The melt water runs down the length of the roof to the eaves where it refreezes forming a dam and icicles. So the water above backs up behind the ice dam and remains a liquid. The best way to prevent ice dams is to ensure that the air in the attic or against the bottom of the roof deck doesn t get too warm.

The tutorial how to prevent and remove ice dams describes what ice dams are and how you can try to prevent them from forming and damaging your home. In the tutorial it also describes some of the preventative things you can do before winter including. Ice dams occur after a heavy snowfall when warm air in the attic causes the roof to warm and the snow to melt. Water running down the roof refreezes when it reaches the colder roof edge forming a mound of ice.

The snow layer traps warm beneath the snow which causes it to melt. Ice dams snow on your roof and attic condensation. Ice dams form when heat leaking into attics or roof cavities from the building below or from attic ductwork melts the bottom layer of snow on the roof. Ice dams can be a real problem in winter.

Excessive snow on the roof attic condensation and ice buildup can cause roof damage water damage and personal injury. The water trickles down between the layer of snow and the shingles until it reaches the eave of the roof which stays cold because it extends beyond the side of the house. If you have a furnace in the. While stopping a water leak or repairing a washing machine hose down in the basement might be fairly straightforward snow on the roof ice dams and attic condensation are forms of water damage typical to cold climate homes and are a little more complicated and a little trickier to fix.

Ice dams usually start or worsen after a heavy snow because of snow s insulating properties. Cold air at the lower part of the roof. Air must be able to circulate freely under the roof. Warm air rising to the peak of the attic causing snow to melt and flow to the eave.

An ice dam forms when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the underside of the layer of snow on the roof. In a typical home there is a series of vents under the soffits or eaves. When all three of the following conditions occur ice dams can form quickly. The dam grows as it is fed by the melting snow above it but it will limit itself to the portions of the roof that average below 32f.