The long icicles that hung down from the gutters of homes across Northeast Ohio during the recent extended cold and snowy spell may have added to the picturesque aspect of winter, but they were also an indicator of a potentially expensive headache for homeowners: ice dams.
Ice dams result when the heat from inadequately insulated or poorly ventilated spaces under a home's roof starts to melt the snow that's accumulated on it. The problems start when that water reaches the gutter line, according to Nick Greenawalt, senior service hydrolgist for the National Weather Service.
"There's a continual process of melting of snow higher up on the roofs," Greenawalt said. "The water starts to sink down towards the gutters, but then loses the heat from the home, and it gets into a cooler part of the roof and refreezes as a solid block of ice."
And that can then trap water behind it, causing it to start leaking into the house. This happens because the shingles are meant to help a roof shed water, not form an impermeable barrier, according to Mike Detzel, owner of All Weather Roofing in North Royalton.
"Shingles aren't waterproof, Detzel said. "They shed water until the water gets in the gutter. So when you have water sitting on the roof, it's going to soak through."
Detzel said his company saw an increase in the volume of calls this winter due to ice dams.
Jesse Pope is the general manager of Franciscus Roofing, based in Westlake. He said the design of the roofs themselves can also be a factor when it comes to the formation of ice dams.
"There are some issues that we've seen with that as well, especially some of your fancy homes that have all the different peaks and valleys with them," Pope said. "They look beautiful, but then become a big hazard when you get a lot of snow and ice that build up in these crevices."
Damages from roof leaks, Pope said, could potentially cause thousands of dollars in damages depending on the company's prices, size of the home and extent of the damage.
"It could be anywhere from $700 to $800, I would say, for a company going for a very small job," Pope said. "[But] we've had had one for $2,200, but we're talking a huge house."
To help prevent damage from ice dams, Detzel said residents can use snow rakes to remove snow from their rooftops following a storm.
鈥淭hey've got like a 20-foot extension with a shovel pointing inward on it, and they can pull the snow off their roof if they're able to,鈥� Detzel said.
Fixing insulation issues with the roof, Pope and Detzel both said, can stop issues with ice dams. The attic鈥檚 temperature, according to Detzel, should be as close as possible to the outside of the house.
If you already have ice dams that are causing problems. you can also hire a professional to help mitigate any water damage, Detzel said. His company can cut a hole in the ice dam, clearing a path for subsequent melting water to flow off the house.
Warming cables could also be an option for residents.
鈥淓ssentially, you plug in a little cable. A current runs through this cable, you run it along the bottom of your roof next to the gutter and in the gutter, and it keeps that above freezing even as air temperatures stay cold,鈥� Greenawalt said, 鈥淪o it allows for any snow that does melt and escape down from the higher part of your roofs towards the gutters to flow freely as water through the gutter and down into the drains.鈥�
In many cases, Detzel said, ice dams and leaks are unavoidable.
鈥淲hen you have 12, 16 inches of snow and you have both, you know, whether in the teens or negative numbers, you're going to have ice backup leaks,鈥� Detzel said. 鈥淭here's nothing you can do about it. Other than get the snow off the roof and cut a hole in the dam.鈥�
