HELP!! Ice Dam Problem! - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

**Pugs** · 12-18-2007, 09:49 AM

I know... this is way off-topic for this site, but the members here seem to be a wealth of good information and advice.

So, in our upper unit, we currently have water dripping down inside the wall and leaking out around a window. You can put your hand on the wall and feel where it is significantly colder due to the water in the wall.

I'm assuming that this is being caused by an ice dam due to the heavy snowfall that we've experienced here in Milwaukee over the last month or so.

This is occuring over the dormer section of the house so the roof has a pretty shallow slope for that part.

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for how to deal with the problem immediately, and how to prevent it from happening again?

I'd get a roof rake and try to scrape the snow off, but that section of the roof is three stories up and not really reachable. I'd prefer not to go crawling around on the roof trying to push the snow off for the same reason... I don't have a fear of heights but I do have a fear of falling three stories!

Any advice would be appreciated, other than using my XD to break up the ice dam! (See! XD-Talk related content!)

SgtWKPII · 12-18-2007, 09:56 AM

If you have a pressure washer you can always spray it with warm salt water, then once it is off put a good coat of rock salt on your roof.

ColoXD_Fan · 12-18-2007, 10:00 AM

+1

Gotta love that salt rock in the winter!!

hacker15 · 12-18-2007, 10:48 AM

Short term solution - as indicated by above posts. You've got to get the dam off the roof and let the water behind it to flow off, rather than under the shingles.

Long term - either use a waterproof layer under the shingles to prevent water from getting in, or use an electric warmer that melts the ice preventing the dam from forming in the first place.

There's a special gutter that's sold that removes the possibility of ice dam formation - it's called (I believe) the 'Weather Handler' and is used extensively up in Maine.

**yocan** · 12-18-2007, 10:55 AM

Waterproof layer, I put that on the first 8 feet of my roof that I did. The electric warmer once the problem is eliminated temporarily you can buy at any hardware store, and then you plug it in, or put it on a switch and turn it on whenever it snows.

The other ideas sound solid I just haven't done them yet.

Pete V · 12-18-2007, 07:21 PM

Go to Home Depot they sell an Ice Dam Material it is a thick rubber like material use it on the entire roof like i did{shallow pitch as well)then you might want to consider a Colored Tin roof it comes in like 3 or by 8 Panels.
the roof uses self sealing screws. It is lighter and slicker then a shingle roof and most have the same warranty.

thanks for the forum

Pete V

Elmer · 12-18-2007, 08:20 PM

I've put ice melt in nylons and put it on the ice dams takes awhile but does help melt them away without having the mess.

**Old School** · 12-18-2007, 08:29 PM

Our home in Nov, MI had a very bad icedam problem and on a few occassions, the water backed up and caused thousands in damage (good thing we had insurance).

I installed gutter heaters and the problem went away. They worked so well that 6 of my neighbors who had similar roof lines also installed them. They are easy to install and inexpensive.

Good info here for you: http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infdam.html

OS

12-18-2007, 09:56 AM	#2
SgtWKPII XDTalk 15K Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Camano Island, Warshington Posts: 19,860 Blog Entries: 19	If you have a pressure washer you can always spray it with warm salt water, then once it is off put a good coat of rock salt on your roof. __________________ The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. ~Thomas Jefferson

12-18-2007, 10:00 AM	#3
ColoXD_Fan XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grand Junction,CO Posts: 5,344	+1 Gotta love that salt rock in the winter!! __________________ SA XD .45 Tactical Black (Traded) SA XD 9mm SubCompact OD Green Walther P 22 Remington 870 express 12 gauge Savage .17 BVTS Old old .22 rifle DPMS AP4 .308 PSE Brute 50-60# "Worse $hit happens to better people" - Me.

12-18-2007, 10:48 AM	#4
hacker15 XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 3,603	Short term solution - as indicated by above posts. You've got to get the dam off the roof and let the water behind it to flow off, rather than under the shingles. Long term - either use a waterproof layer under the shingles to prevent water from getting in, or use an electric warmer that melts the ice preventing the dam from forming in the first place. There's a special gutter that's sold that removes the possibility of ice dam formation - it's called (I believe) the 'Weather Handler' and is used extensively up in Maine. __________________ If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. Mark Twain

12-18-2007, 10:55 AM	#5
yocan XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,262	Waterproof layer, I put that on the first 8 feet of my roof that I did. The electric warmer once the problem is eliminated temporarily you can buy at any hardware store, and then you plug it in, or put it on a switch and turn it on whenever it snows. The other ideas sound solid I just haven't done them yet. __________________ The three requirements for a school shooting. 1 know the floorplan. 2 Know the threats inside the location and response time/entry time for the police 3. Royally screwed up intelligent analytic mind. We need more laws to protect these three rights. Ban guns in schools, it obviously works.

12-18-2007, 07:21 PM	#6
Pete V XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 366	Help Ice Dam Problem Go to Home Depot they sell an Ice Dam Material it is a thick rubber like material use it on the entire roof like i did{shallow pitch as well)then you might want to consider a Colored Tin roof it comes in like 3 or by 8 Panels. the roof uses self sealing screws. It is lighter and slicker then a shingle roof and most have the same warranty. thanks for the forum Pete V

12-18-2007, 08:20 PM	#7
Elmer XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 143	I've put ice melt in nylons and put it on the ice dams takes awhile but does help melt them away without having the mess. __________________ "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes." - Cesare Beccaria, 18th Century Italian Criminologist "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." -Dante Alighieri

12-18-2007, 08:29 PM	#8
Old School XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 7,675	Our home in Nov, MI had a very bad icedam problem and on a few occassions, the water backed up and caused thousands in damage (good thing we had insurance). I installed gutter heaters and the problem went away. They worked so well that 6 of my neighbors who had similar roof lines also installed them. They are easy to install and inexpensive. Good info here for you: http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infdam.html OS __________________ Visit www.pistolgear.com for all of your XD needs!

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