What's an Ice Dam?
What is an 'ice dam'? It's a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining off the roof. When water backs up behind the dam, it can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.
Take action:
- For the short term, remove snow from your roof. A "roof rake" and push broom can be used to remove the snow. However, performing this work can be dangerous, so it's best left to the professionals.
- Over the long term, increase your ceiling/roof insulation to cut down on heat loss (a primary culprit of ice dams). Make the ceiling air-tight so no warm air can flow from the house into the attic space.
