Many homeowners are calling us who have new roofs. They say “How on earth can I have ice damming? My roof is less than 3 years old!”
The answer lies not in the fact that the roof is new but whether or not the roof system was installed correctly. In a previous blog, we discussed how condensation can form if there are any protrusions that allow heat loss. Well the same advice holds true in preventing ice dams. Ice dams can be prevented by controlling the heat loss from the home.
The number one defence preventing ice damming is to control heat loss as follows:
Make sure the proper requirements for ceiling/roof insulation levels are met or exceeded.
• Construct a continuous, 100% effective air barrier through the ceiling. There should not be any air leakage from the house into the attic space! As previously discussed recessed lights, skylights, complicated roof designs, and heating ducts in the attic will all increase the risk of ice dam formation.
• If there is air leakage, seal any air leakage paths between the house and attic space
We recognize that your leak can be scary and frustrating. In worst case situations, ice leaks have started electrical fires. So, if water is running near an electrical source, shut down the circuit breaker.

Things you can do to help minimize the leaking.

1. Lower the heat – The “trigger” for your leak is heat. Heat is escaping from the living area and is warming the roof deck, causing the ice on the roof to melt. That water cannot run off the roof because it is trapped by the ice and snow above. By lowering the interior temperature, there is a good chance the melting action will stop. Thereafter, the sun will melt the ice/snow from the top down instead of from the bottom up.
2. Control Leakage – Puncture a small hole in the ceiling (ice pick) and allow water to escape. Wet a string and slip several inches into the hole on top of the ceiling. Thumb tack the string to the ceiling. Run the string into a bucket. This should minimize future ceiling damage, control the water flow, and minimize the dripping noise.
3. Danger – Don’t try to remove snow from your roof unless you have a stable platform to work from. Wait for a professional roofer to take the risk. Snow removal and ice chipping can easily damage a roof.
4. Emergency Service Options

Permanent Solution – Thoroughly remove ice/snow from leaking area. Install temporary roofing to same area until a permanent roof can be installed. If you are installing permanent roofing, you must utilize Arctic Specifications for the leaking area. National Roofing Contractors Association Standards will be adequate for non-leaking areas if the entire roof is being replaced.

Temporary Remedy – Remove light snow and create “water runoffs” through ice. Your roof may suffer marginal damage from ice chipping action so do this with caution. Once ice damming is relieved, interior leakage should stop until the roof is covered with snow again. Even though leakage does not appear inside, water will follow the water migration pathway established by the ice. In addition, numerous people during the 99/2000 snow storm repaired the interior but never corrected the roof damage and today they are faced with the same or worse problems. Therefore, the only “bullet proof” way to be sure you will never leak is to fix properly.
Be forewarned – Snow removal and stopping of leaks does not mean the roof problem has been corrected. There is a high probability that leakage will occur every rainfall until the roof is permanantly repaired.