How to Fix an Ice Dam Leak

Preventing Ice Dams

• 1

  Keep your roof cold. Heat escaping through the roof is what melts the snow that forms ice dams. Often, the peak of the roof can heat up above the freezing mark, but the lower part of the roof will still be below freezing; so, when the water runs down the slope, it freezes again, forming an ice dam. Make sure that your attic is well-insulated to keep heat from escaping.

• 2

  Avoid air leakage through your roof and attic. Warm air can leak out through cracks, chimneys, wire holes, exhaust fans and ceiling fixtures. Use caulking, urethane spray foam or weatherstripping to seal leaks.

• 3

  Do not try to melt snow on your roof by applying heat from the inside. This will only lead to leaks, and snow itself is not nearly as damaging as an ice dam. If you must remove snow from your roof, do it from the ground using a roof rake. Some models can reach 20 feet or more.

Fixing Ice Dams

• 4

  Do not climb onto your roof to try to remove an ice dam, and do not attempt to chip it away from below. If an ice dam has formed, check your attic for leaks and use pans or buckets to catch the water.

• 5

  Wait for a day when temperatures are above freezing. If your roof is severely leaking due to an ice dam, there is little you can do in the short term except try to lessen the damage. Spray warm tap water onto your roof with a hose to create channels in the ice through which the backed-up water can escape. This should at least temporarily stop the leaking.

• 6

  Call a roofing professional to assess the damage to your roof and either fix the problem or give you advice on how to fix it yourself. Each situation is different, but do not climb onto your roof and do not attempt to plug water leaks from the inside until you have spoken to a professional.