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Ice dam damage

Beware of rooftop snow, ice

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Commercial buildings are not immune to problems associated with ice dams, a product of heavy snowfall on rooftops.

This winter has been one many people in the Minot area would like to forget. As if record snowfall and low temperatures in February haven’t caused enough troubles associated with living in a northern climate, now comes the formation of ice dams and the potential for costly damage to homes and businesses.

Ice dams are build-ups of ice along gutters and overhangs. A tell-tale sign is usually the formation of icicles.

“It is happening a little more than usual this winter because of the amount of snow we’ve had and the lengthy period of cold weather,” said Bruce Johnson, Johnson Roofing, Siding and Gutters of Minot. “If you can see icicles up there, if ice is building up six inches or better, it will flow back into the house eventually.”

As snow melts from heat escaping a roof or from exposure on a sunny day, the resulting water reaches the gutters and eaves where, without a heat source along the overhanging edge of a roof, cold temperature quickly cause the melting snow to turn to ice. The expanding icepack pushes underneath the protective shingles.

Johnson says one way to combat the danger of ice dams forming is to remove as much snow as possible from a rooftop. That may be as simple as standing on solid ground and using a long roof rake to pull snow off the roof. But there’s a few other tricks too.

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Icicles descending from gutters and edges of roofs on homes is an indicator of possible interior damage due to the formation of ice dams.

“If a guy can get a tube-type of ice melt up there, like a nylon stocking filled with ice melt, and lay it through the ice dam it might keep it flowing,” said Johnson.

Another alternative is to install heat tape, but that is best done before the first snowfall of the year.

“It’s pretty tough to do when the ice is already built up,” explained Johnson. “It has to run up the downspout, through the gutter and weave onto the overhang of the roof.”

While Johnson Roofing installs heat tape designed to prevent ice dams, much of their effort this winter has been directed at removing snow from rooftops.

“Sometime we use a roof rake or get up there and shovel it off, if the roof isn’t too steep,” said Johnson.

Left unchecked, ice dams that push their way underneath the shingles can lead to significant interior damage. Some of the earliest indications that water is getting inside a home is peeling, bubbling or droopy paint. That is the result of soggy insulation or sheetrock due to water getting inside a home, either though seepage into the attic or directly into the walls.

Fixes can be costly, especially given the high deductible of many homeowner’s insurance policies. Interior walls suffering damage from ice dams often need to be cut open to remove damaged areas and allow for drying. Permanent repairs might not be possible until the arrival of warm weather, leading to lengthy and unsightly inconvenience for homeowners.

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