Many homeowners in Minnesota are all too familiar with ice dams. This is the ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents proper drainage of melting snow. The resulting water can back up behind the dam and cause extensive damage to a home by leaking into the walls, ceilings and insulation. This can also result in mold and mildew within the home. Ice dams occur due to temperature fluctuations above and below the roof line over an extended period of time.
There are both long term and immediate remedies for this.
The immediate short term solutions for this include, but are not limited to*;
- Remove the snow from the roof with a roof rake. Use care not to damage the roofing materials.
- You can also create channels in the ice dam by filling a thin sock with Calcium Chloride and laying it vertically on the dam. This is only a temporary fix which can allow the water to flow down via gravity. This can also cause damage to landscaping below so it should be used with care.
The long-term solutions are to;
- Make the ceiling air tight to allow proper air flow in the house and attic space.
- Seal the air passages between these spaces and consider additional insulation to prevent heat loss**.
For more information, please refer to the references below.
- The Minnesota Office of Energy Security – Energy Information Center has publications available online or can be contacted by phone at (651) 696-5175 or (800) 657-3710.
- www.extension.umn.edu
- www.thisoldhouse.com
- www.state.mn.us
Also, feel free to contact us for more information.
WARNING!
* Hire a professional to help you with this to avoid any personal injury or injury to your property.
** Whenever a house is tightened up, ventilation systems, exhausting devices, and combustion devices must have enough air to operate safely and effectively!