Ice dams
The ice is a symptom. The heat is the cause.
Warm air from the house leaks into the attic and heats the roof deck. Snow melts on the warm part, runs down and freezes where the roof is cold, at the eave.
Once the ice builds into a ridge, the next melt backs up behind it and finds its way under the shingles and into the wall. A gutter full of ice is where you notice it, but it isn't why it happened.
Now and later
Take the ice off, then stop the cause
| What gets you through the week | What stops it | |
|---|---|---|
| The fix | What gets you through the weekSteam the ice off the eave | What stops itSeal the gaps in the attic floor and add insulation |
| Airflow | What gets you through the weekRake the snow off the lower roof from the ground | What stops itKeep air moving from the soffit to the ridge |
| Gutters | What gets you through the weekHeat cable, which keeps a channel open and nothing more | What stops itKeep them clear and pitched so melt can leave |
| What not to do | What gets you through the weekNever chip or pick at the ice | What stops itDon't add more shingles over a leaking edge |
Ice dam questions
Do gutters cause ice dams?
No. Heat in the attic does. A gutter just collects the ice and can pull away under its weight.
Does heat cable fix it?
It keeps a path open for the melt, but the cause stays. It's a patch, and the attic is the repair.
Is it safe to chip the ice off?
No. You can tear the shingles and hurt yourself. Steam melts it without hitting the roof.
Can you look at the attic?
Yes. It's the first thing we check on an ice dam call, and we'll tell you what the gutters have to do with it, if anything.
Ice along the eaves?
Send a photo of the edge, and one of the attic if you can reach it.