An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home.
New roof leaking from ice.
If you have a leaky roof you d better fix it immediately even if it doesn t bother you much or you re getting a new roof next year.
Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few.
It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.
The good news is that many issues with roof leaks commonly found in homes can be easily repaired.
Even a small roof leak can cause significant damage to a home so it s important to find and correct a problem as soon as it s noticed on the ceiling.
An ice dam forms as a ridge of ice along the lower edge of your roof and prevents melting snow higher up on the roof from flowing past the dam.
These dams can tear apart your home so limit them by keeping your roof clear of snow.
If dams are a serious threat to your roof the problem is usually due to poor ventilation.
The same goes for snow on decks.
Even over a short time small leaks can lead to big problems such as mold rotted framing and sheathing destroyed insulation and damaged ceilings.
Check out this article for more on preventing ice dams.
What is an ice dam.
Water then pools above the ice and leaks into your roof.
If you see icicles hanging from your roof you most likely have an ice dam.
Ice dam roof leaks.
Ice dams happen when ice melts trickles down the roof then freezes again.
In northern climates ice dams can cause major problems.