Snow and Ice Dams on Your Roof

11/17/2017 (Permalink)

Ice dams on roof

Ice dams are common in our region.  Sometimes they are caused by blocked gutters and spouts and often on the roof.  The heat in your attic melts the underside of snow that has accumulated on the roof.  That water trickles to the eaves where it freezes and grows into a larger and larger ice mound.  Water can work it's way inside your roof and attic creating a lot of damage before it is discovered, often resulting in secondary mold damage.  

How to deal with an ice dam?  knock off what you safely can with a broom or shovel.  While not recommended to use rock salt on your roof (it causes structural and material damage), calcium choloride is an option - your local home improvement retailer should have several options for you that will allow you to easily create a channel for water to run off the roof.  

If water has made it's way into your attic, SERVPRO of Great Neck/Port Washington is here to help!