What Are Ice Dams And How Do You Prevent Them?

The cold, snowy weather we normally get in January and February, as well as the big snows that normally come to Colorado Springs in March make a lot of people aware of an issue they have every year, though they may not be aware of how big of a problem it is.

The problem, however, is that this issue can seem pretty insignificant or may not seem like a problem at all. Usually, in our temperate and dry climate we tend to appreciate seeing icicles hanging from our roofs and gutters since they're such a novelty.

Icicles May Be A Sign Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen

Icicles look pretty. They remind us of Christmas. But icicles may also indicate that an ice dam has formed on your roof. 

On the cold days of winter, snow piles up on the roof. As heat from the house rises into the attic, it warms the underside of the snow, which causes it to melt. In addition to that, our clear, sunny skies causes the snow to melt from above, too. This water runs down the roof, under the layer of snow, and when it gets to the eave of the house, which is over the soffit, it begins to freeze again. Much of the time, it runs into the gutter before it freezes, then the gutter begins filling with ice. when that ice overflows the gutter, it produces icicles. 

Ice dams don't always form icicles, however, but whether they do or don't form icicles, that ice begins to grow larger - kind of like a glacier. Remember, there's a thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze cycle happening. That block of ice begins to work it's way under the roofing material, or in between flashings and roofing, or between fascia and roof deck. As the ice creeps slowly back up the roof or into the soffit, it reaches the heated living space and starts to melt, but this time it can potentially be over the interior of your house, and when that happens, you begin to get wet drywall, wet floors, even soaked insulation. 

Ice Dams Can Cause Hundreds, Or Even Thousands Of Dollars In Damage

We've worked with a homeowner in Monument who had a nasty ice dam and the water from it traveled, unseen, inside a wall and went all the way to the basement! Another client of ours sustained over $10,000 in interior damage from massive ice dams on his roof.  Every year ice dams cause damage to homes in Colorado Springs. They're not something to take lightly.

How Do You Get Rid Of Ice Dams?

The first thing most homeowners try is the heat tape. I call it "Zig-zag heat tape," because it gets installed on a roof in a zig-zag pattern. The problem with this product, as most homeowners quickly find out, is that it doesn't work. At best, it melts a 1/2" to 1" wide path through the snow, right around the tape. It's not preventing any build-up of ice.

Another thing people try is snow rakes. These are tools designed to be used when you're standing on the ground and you "rake" the snow off your roof. These require a lot of work to use and they're not much more effective than the heat tape.

Another DIY option for homeowners is brushing or sweeping the snow off the roof. Hopefully I shouldn't need to point out how dangerous it is to get on your roof when it's covered with snow and ice, in order to try to sweep the snow and ice off. 

Other options that are out there in the market are companies that will come break the ice off or steam, pressure blast it off. 

Every "invasive" option used like snow rakes, steam, pressure, can cause damage to the roofing material and potentially void any warranty you may have.

So What Is The Best Way To Get Rid Of Ice Dams?

The best way to get rid of ice dams is to prevent them from happening in the first place! Homestead Roofing is now a Factory-authorized representative for a heated panel system for your roof. We call it our IceBUSTER!

I absolutely love this product! You see the photo above of the zig-zag heat tape? Here's an image from the same house with our IceBUSTER heated eave panel.

And here's a valley, gutter, and downspout system in the Broadmoor.