Ice Dams
Ice dams are destructive to homes, causing damage to roofs, walls, and ceilings. However, they are easily preventable with proper insulation and ventilation in the attic.
Ice dams: destructive, yet preventable
Ice dams are ridges of ice at the gutter and edges of your roof. They form when too much heat rises up from your living space and escapes into the attic. Unsealed and uninsulated heating ducts also contribute heat.
The heat warms the underside of your roof deck and causes snow to melt. As a result, the melted snow runs down the roof and freezes at the lower roof (eaves), which is not as warm as the deck.
The melted snow penetrates the roof assembly and moves down into your walls.
