Ice dams normally take shape at the lower region of roofs, permitting water to permeate and harm the inside of roofs and walls. When the snow thaws on a protective covering it trickles down until it reaches the unheated underside of a protective covering and then freezes. This lump of ice is known as an ice dam, it is pretty to watch but bad for one’s home roofing structure.

What creates ice dams?

There are many factors that contribute to the formation of ice dams, here is a list of different elements that normally contribute to this ice dam formation:

1. Through air leakage, heat is transported by the air. This heats the attic and drives melting to happen, this water then freezes at the bottom. Ventilation equipment such as furnaces and air conditioning is seldom seen in attics anymore, however, these equipment are likely adding to the creation of ice dams.

2. The elements: when roofing materials are open to the sun they heat up and when the wind strokes the huge covering of snow to a lesser condensed area this helps in the melting process.

3. Thermal bridging through the walls: lots of older houses do not have sufficient insulation, especially at places where the walls and roof meet. Because heat flows through framing members it heats the roof and melts the snow; that water then runs down where it is no longer heated by interior elements, then it freezes once again.

Ice dam protection and prevention:

Some of these problems (such as snow and wind) are inescapable, the successful solution to preventing damage due to ice dams is to consider adding a waterproof layer underneath your last protective covering at the lowermost side of the roof. This membrane will allow water to be safely emptied off the roof. Another thing that can be done would be to increase heat loss through improved air sealing and insulation.

Thermal bridging can be averted in new constructs by seeing to it that the roof has a decently high pitch and sufficient overhang, so in that respect, there is sufficient room for proper ventilation.

Conclusion

Ice dams are formed by the heat lost from the house. The best strategy to follow would be to ventilate, insulate well and block as many air leaks as possible. It is often more expensive to fix the building structure from these types of damages than it is to prevent the damage. This is why careful observation and planning needs to be done beforehand to prevent these types of situations.

Sources Include:

https://bct.eco.umass.edu/publications/articles/preventing-ice-dams/

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-prevent-remove-ice-dams-1824696

https://www.ecohome.net/guides/2213/what-causes-ice-dams-and-how-to-fix-them/

 

For more information, contact Vinny’s Jersey Plumbing, located in Wayne, New Jersey.  We also service other towns in New Jersey, such as Teaneck, Livingston and Lincoln Park.