Hey everyone, I'm a first-time homeowner and I've found what I believe is an ice dam forming at the corner where my unheated mudroom meets an unheated sunporch. I'm worried about the damage it could cause, especially since we've just replaced the old, rotted gutters. I really want to prevent my new gutters from getting damaged, plus I'm keen on taking care of this old house to avoid any major issues down the line. Any tips for removing the ice and preventing it from building up again would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
1 Answer
Yeah, that definitely looks like an ice dam. It's usually caused when the roof eave is freezing while the rest of the roof melts due to warmer air. One common problem is having a non-ventilated roof deck, which means heat gets trapped, causing the ice to build up. Ideally, you want to have your soffits venting into the attic to keep the roof cool. You might also want to look into adding a heat wire to prevent it from forming again, especially if you have bathroom vents or chimneys contributing to the melting.
I see what you're saying about the roof structure. Could it be that the second story roof is getting a lot of sunlight and melting snow, only for it to dump into your shaded area? A simple trick could be to toss up a sock filled with ice melt salt to see if that helps a bit!