Ice Damage Restoration & Repair in Upstate New York

As another winter season brings the cold and snow, it also brings the ice. Since 1975, MIG has been responding to these problems. We would like to provide you with some information, education, and possible solutions to your ice questions.

What Causes the Problem?

To have ice dams you must have three things:

• Snow
• Heat to melt the snow
• Cold to refreeze the melt
  
  

Only Mother Nature can control the amount of snow and the temperature outside. As the snow piles up and the temperature drops, the potential for ice grows.

Heat to melt the snow on your roof has several causes:

• The Sun – Sunlight hits the highest points of your roof and melts the snow. As this occurs, it exposes the mainly dark roofing in the area, absorbing even more heat from the sun. Depending on the direction your home faces, tree coverage, and wind direction, this can be a major cause of melt.
• Insulation – Another reason for snow melt is lack of insulation. The main living space of your home sits directly under the ridgeline. As the heat of your home penetrates the insulation, this warms the underside of the roof deck causes the melt. Building Codes for our area require a minimum R-38 (approximately 12 inches of insulation).
• Ventilation – The exhaust created by ridge vents, gable vents, and box vents forces fresh air up through your soffits, keeping the temperature in the attic the same as it is outside. This is the goal of all attic ventilation systems. Keeping the attic cold, especially the underside of the roof decking helps prevent the melting of the snow.
• Air Infiltration – Small holes in your ceilings can allow a significant amount of warm air into the attic space. Holes are drilled for electrical lines, ceiling fans, chimneys, can lights, attic hatches, bath fans, etc., and all of these allow heat to travel up and warm the roof.

As the highest points of your roof melt, the water runs underneath the lower snow packs, freezing at the eaves: the coldest part of your roof. Once this process begins, it builds upon itself, causing icicles and ice damming.

Fixing the Problem

• Bring your attic up to a R38-R49 insulation value
• Install proper ventilation
• Attic Air Seal to close holes with caulk and foam products

Preventative Measures

• Keep your gutters clean – Contrary to popular belief, gutters do not cause ice dams. However, dirty gutters do help concentrate ice and water at the vulnerable roof eaves area. As gutters fill with ice, they often bend and rip away from the house, bringing fascia, fasteners and downspouts in tow.
• Remove the snow – Keep your roof clean with a snow rake, or hire a professional to do this work. Roof valleys can be a major issue, and some ice may be unavoidable.
• Heat Tape/Cables – These can be quite effective in certain situations.

Every home is different and responds differently to preventative measures.  We live in Upstate NY, where we have snow and the cold.  With the proper solutions, we can help your ice concerns, but we may not be able to prevent them completely.