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Thread: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

  1. #1
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    Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    We've got ice damns on the south side of our house. Does it mean we are going to get damage? None present yet that I can see.

    Will a snow rake do any good now that they're set up? Or is it too little too late?
    Hazmat

  2. #2
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    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    Same boat here. BAD ice jams. Its so sold that there going nowere.
    Paul Bradway


  3. #3
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    Re: Do Ice dams always mean damage?

    Ice dams won't do damage unless the water that backs up behind them gets high (or deep) enough to run under the shingles and down your walls and into your insulation or through the plaster or drywall. Once detected that way, a lot of damage is already done.

    I use a technique someone taught me where I create an opening in the ice to let the water run out so it cannot build up behind the ice. Of several ways, there is salt(sometimes hard on the gutters and lawn), hatchet or hammer (sometimes hard on the shingles), or melting the ice either with warm water or with an electric heated tape or cable. If I use the warm water, I run it through the hose on a stick to reach the ice at the bottom edge of the eaves. I then let it run to melt the ice from the bottom up, until it is gone. The temperature of the air makes this a bit tricky, but it is amazing how fast the ice will melt. Until more snow melts to make more ice, this can work pretty good. Another way is to use a long 1/2 plastic pipe on the end of the hose to get the water to the ice dam. Watch out for a gush of water to come out when you break through the ice dam. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

  4. #4
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    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    I have to agree, ice dams do not necessarily mean you will have damage, for the very reason beenthere has given. But, it does set you up for trouble. Some homes never seem to have a problem with ice dams and others seem to have massive dams every year. Some times it is just a matter of weather and everybody winds up with ice dams. There are a number of steps that can be taken to prevent them, but once you've got them, there are only a limited number of alternatives.

    I've neer heard of the garden hose trick, so I'll have to keep that one in mind. What has worked for some people is a sock filled with rock salt. You throw the sock up on the roof so that it lays across the ice dam and melts a trench through it to let the water out. Not too easy on the lawn and probably not the best thing for the roof, but I'm told it works.

    Steve

  5. #5
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    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    heat tape!
    Before any more ice dams up.

    it's a shame that common sense isn't

  6. #6
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    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    I have read that if you are going to use the salt on the roof, it best to use calcium chloride, not the regular rock salt you buy. Supposed to be easier on the shingles etc. Both are usually available at the stores.

  7. #7
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    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    Not always, as Beenthere pointed out. I've found that raking the snow off the last three feet or so of roof minimizes the buildup of ice...if you stay on top of it. I think the portion of the roof that extends beyond the walls of the house gets colder, so any water melted from above the heated (and in our case poorly insulated) portion of the roof runs down and refreezes. By raking the lower roof it never seems to refreeze till it drips off the roof and hits the ground. Just a theory but I haven't had ice dams since I became a raking fanatic. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

    Pete

  8. #8
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    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    <font color="blue">and in our case poorly insulated </font color>

    Maybe, maybe not. You might want to increase the attic ventilation. Ice dams are a combination of heat loss into the attic and not enough ventilation to keep the roof cool. Snow melts on the roof, runs down to the eaves (which are cooler) and freezes. If you can cool the roof through increased ventilation, it should reduce or eliminate your ice dam problem.

    Steve

  9. #9
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    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    We have a nice ice dam starting on only one section of our new house. I checked the attic and I can see daylight from the soffit vents so I know it's not a matter of heat rising through the ceiling. I think ours has to do with the sun. This section is getting some mid-day sun on the roof, but not the gutter. I think the snow is melting on the shingles then re-freezing in the shade of the gutter. I'm not too concerned about it but will watch it over the next warm-up [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
    Rob

  10. #10

    Re: Do Ice damns always mean damage?

    We have a nice ice dam starting on only one section of our new house.

    Just curious what is the pitch of the roof? This doesn't answer the question but I was wondering if the higher the pitch the less chance of ice dams forming.

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