Ice Dams

Ice Dams: Taming An Icy River

Popular Mechanics — The Army Corps of Engineers designed a new structure to manage ice jams: concrete columns that trap bulky ice upstream, allowing water to flow down. The flood that hit my hometown of Montpelier, Vt., 14 years ago this March, had a sneaky feel to ...More…

How to Prevent Ice Dams, and What to Do If You Get Them

Popular Mechanics — If you have a furnace in the attic, it may not be possible to prevent ice dams. Increased insulation, however, should help. First, insulate the areas between the roof rafters. It is important to keep an air space between the roof deck and the ...More…

Attic Furnace and Ice Dams

Popular Mechanics — My split-level home was remodeled recently. We raised the roof and added a master bedroom suite. In order to heat the new space, an additional gas-fired furnace was installed in the attic above the new rooms. The attic has insulation between the ...More…

Repair Leaks Caused By Bad Flashing And Ice Dams

Reader's Digest — Q Our ceiling leaks under this section of roof whenever we have a severe rain and in the winter after heavy snowfalls. How do we stop it? A You're getting a double whammy from poor flashing and ice dams. The culprit is almost certainly the soffit ...More…

Insulating Water Pipes and Ice Shields/Ice Dams on the Roof

Home and Garden Television — A homeowner finds that her century-old townhouse has a little more history than she'd hoped for. Now she needs to know what it will take to bring it up to date. When home inspector Reggie Marston shows up to inspect this Washington, D.C., home, ...More…

Doesn't attic insulation prevent ice dams?

Do It Yourself — It's hard to believe a warm sunny day in the winter can actually be causing major damage to your home, but it's true. That's because the run off water from the melting snow (both from the heat of the sun and heat inside your attic), will run ...More…

How to Prevent Ice Dams, and What to Do If You Get Them

Popular Mechanics — To prevent an ice dam, don't heat the roof, keep it cold. That way, the snow on the roof eventually dissipates without making large amounts of meltwater. The underside of the roof deck should not exceed 30 F. The best way to maintain low ...More…

How to Prevent Ice Dams With Deicing Cables

Reader's Digest — I'm concerned about ice dams forming on my roof. Will deicing cables prevent ice dams and is there a downside to using them? Deicing cables should work. Ice dams result from repeated cycles of thawing and freezing, which cause snow and ice to ...More…

Ice Dams - Causes Minimizing / Eliminating Interior Leaks

Ask The Builder — Ask the Builder Ice Dams - Causes Minimizing / Eliminating Interior Leaks Summary: Ice dams can form on any roof under cold weather and snowfall. When gutters turn to solid ice and the barrier creeps up onto your roof, thawing will cause a deluge ...More…

Ice Dams - Tips for Leak Prevention / Damage Control

Ask The Builder — Ask the Builder Ice Dams - Tips for Leak Prevention / Damage Control Summary: Ice dams may not be preventable, but these design tips can do wonders to prevent leak damage and minimize ice dam size. Membrane roofing is highly advised to keep water ...More…

Ice Dams - Leak Prevention Products / Manufacturers

Ask The Builder — Ask the Builder Ice Dams - Leak Prevention Products / Manufacturers Summary: Before ice dams cause you trouble, review these leak prevention products from these manufacturers. If reroofing, remodeling, or building, seriously consider the ...More…

Ice Dams - Prevent Roof Leak

Ask The Builder — Summary: Ice dams may not be avoidable, but you can prevent a leak from ruining your home. Understand how an ice dam can form to know how to minimize potential roof leak problems. Consider membrane roofing to help keep water leaks outside your ...More…

Ice Dams

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