Ice Dam Prevention

How Ice Dams are Formed

What are ice dams? Ice dams are no more than what causes those magical icicles to hang off the side of your house. The problem is, is when they start melting. When ice dams begin to melt, the water chooses the path of least resistant which happens to be into your roof. This can cause some long term and expensive damage. Eventually, you’ll notice paint peeling, stains and sagging on your walls. Here are some tips to keep ice dams from forming

An average home can lose about 1/3 of its heat through the attic.

Air leaks can come from a variety of issues. Unblocked walls, gaps in drywall, cracks around chimneys, lighting fixtures, pipes, access hatches and much more.

Ensure your insulation is up to code

Typically, building code requires about 12” to 14” of insulation

Rake the snow off the roof after a heavy snowfall

This can help alleviate some of the build-ups over the winter

Lastly, install heat cables if nothing else works

They should be mounted on the roof’s edge in a zig-zag pattern to ensure they are in the correct spot to help to melt