Ice Dams

Ice Dam | Leak in new addition

Saturday, 09 January 2010 22:53

Finding a winter roof leak due to ice dams on a slate roof.

 

Ice dam roof leak on a new addition.This leak is showing up on the ceiling of the main house below the upper arrow and in between the lower arrows (pointing to the interior french doors connecting the main house to addition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some comments from professional roofers.

Axiom;

I am guessing that it is building up in the gutter and getting under perimeter metal.  Joe Sherwood Roofing   N. Michigan


 

Shangle Nailer;

I think it is a leak from an ice damn on the rear eaves of the main house. Getting in the wall up there and showing above the interior door into the addition. never shown before because there was no additon!   Richmond VA.


 

Rosco;

If there is a vapor barrier above deck it could be from the wall, I suppose. The skylight is not the source? Oshkosh WI.  Lakewood Roofing, Inc.


 

Tinner 666;

I see scads of ice around that DS and molding, and running down the wall. You haven't said it getting into the top of the window, just on the floor, I assume below and to the side of it.
Water seems to coming through the fascia from the BIG, at the DS, so I guess it's coming through the wall there.  Central Virginia  Albert's Specialty Roofing


 

Cerberus;

Was the weep system in the exterior brick-masonry wall covered up? Not that it would be the cause of a leak over the French doors, but certainly could show up along interior walls now.
Ice damming along gutter is a possibility, as is condensation dripping from the skylight. 

Is that built-in gutter that feeds that downspout? If so, I suspect they are frozen solid, and water has begun to back up and leak along the walls. And it also looks like there may be a water-table involved.     Houston Texas


 

jwoolfsroofing;

I'm guessing that the leak originates at dormer window(2nd floor)and runs between brick and framed wall and showing up on 1st floor ceiling where opening is to addition.   Barberton  Ohio   www.woolfsroofing.com


 Source of ice dam roof leak over new room addition.

As noted by some above, the source of the ice dam leak is the built in gutter and it's downspout. The gutter, eave and roof are warmed by the heat escaping from a poorly insulated house. The water from melting snow runs down the cold downspout and freezes into a solid block of ice inside the downspout. Having nowhere to go, the water in the gutter backs up and out of the seam of the gutters outlet / downspout connection. It then finds it's way behind and into the space between the exterior brick wall and interior plaster wall and comes out at the interior ceiling and new addition entry way.

This could have been prevented if the gutter outlet had been fabricated and installed to extend all the way through and below the soffit. There would still be a problem with ice in and backing out of the lowered outlet / downspout seam, but the water would be running down the outside of the house and not leaking inside.

 

 Gutter downspout leak caused by ice dam.

 Built in gutter outlet / downspout connection joint inside the house soffit.



 

Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 January 2010 17:32
 

Ice Dam Protection

Sunday, 03 January 2010 22:22

Ice dam leak prevention. Installing soldered copper roof flashing to prevent water leaks due to ice and water backup at the roof edge.

 Copper flashing installed in roof valley to prevent ice dam leaks.

Last Updated on Sunday, 03 January 2010 22:41
 

Poor Design and Ice Problems

Tuesday, 29 December 2009 22:56

Ice Dams and water backup leaks caused by poor roof and building design.

 

Poor building design is often the cause of ice dams and the resulting roof leaks. Houses are often designed with little to no overhang at the eaves of the house. Without an adequate overhang there is no room to install the needed vents at the soffit. The best soffit ventilation is usually continuous strip vents installed the length of the roof eaves. Small round plug style vents and larger louvered vents cut and installed between roof rafters can work well but are often insufficient.The house pictured below has some overhang but little space to install venting. The overhang is mostly taken up by mouldings and trim work.

The design of the roof, with the large gable valley ending close to a small dormer, also adds to the problem.  This area is a perfect trap for both snow drifts to occur, and for snow from the upper roof areas sliding down and condensing into one small area.

 

Poor roof design and ice dams

ddd

Short soffit area contributing to ice dams

Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 December 2009 23:49
 

Porch roof vent

Tuesday, 29 December 2009 21:14

Preventing ice dams by installing knee wall vents above porch roof.

 This past winter, the porch roof shown here was covered in snow and ice in the gutter and on the lower edge of the roof. The ice buildup was causing water to back up under the roof slate and into the interior.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 December 2009 23:38
 

Roof Ice Dam | Soffit Vents

Saturday, 26 December 2009 16:26

Ice dam prevention. The importance of open ventilation at the soffit, or roof eave of the house, to prevent snow melt, ice dams, and the resultant leaks from occurring during winter.

 

A short video that includes an attic smoke / ventilation test. Photos and video of hot air escaping from an attic that has had it's soffit vents painted shut and blocked from the inside.

 

 

Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 December 2009 15:30
 
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