Ice Dams Revisited.

I've written about Ice Dams before so I am not intending for this article to be a rehash of what I wrote previously. My other article "Oh No! It's an Ice Dam!" http://theeavestroughcompany.blogspot.ca/2013/02/oh-no-its-ice-dam.html was quite thorough in what causes Ice Dams and how to attempt to solve them.

Every single winter I get people phoning me about their Ice Dams because they believe they have an eavestrough problem. After all, that's where they notice the BIG ice blocks 6" high and that's where the monstrous icicles are forming. The picture below shows an eavestrough that is packed with ice and it is now damaged because of the ice causing expansion and the weight.

The eavestrough is about 4 3/4" high. Which means our ice dam here is about 7" or 8" high. What homeowner wouldn't panic after seeing this on their home?!

Here's a true false test for you:

1. Improperly sloped eavestorughs cause ice dams.  T/F
2. Clogged eavestroughs cause ice dams.  T/F
3. Ice Dams happen only at the eaves of the house.  T/F
4. Gutter Protection systems can cause ice dams. T/F
5. A badly installed roof can cause ice dams.  T/F
6. Ice Dams only happen on older homes.  T/F
7. Installing heat cables and the roof solves the problem of ice dams.  T/F

The answer to all the above questions is FALSE!

Then what causes an ice dam? Well, read my other article. It all has to do with heat loss in your home. Here is an excellent diagram I found on the internet:

Warm air escapes your house and can't escape because of a lack of ventilation or because the heat escape is too rapid. This heats the snow on the roof, it melts and when it finally gets out over the part of the roof that is unheated (the soffit area) it begins to refreeze. Hence the start of an ice dam. Eventually the ice dam can become so large that it begins to back up and the water begins to back up under the shingles and into your house.

I'm in the eavestrough business. It's what I do.  Let me explain why the above questions are all false.

1. Improperly sloped eavestorughs cause ice dams.  T/F
2. Clogged eavestroughs cause ice dams.  T/F
The above questions are false. An eavestrough is slightly lower in the front than it is in the back. If your problem is only in the eavestrough, water will come over the front and not the back. It's simply impossible for ice to build up 7" higher than the eavestrough and then back up onto the roof if it is only the eavestrough that is clogged or improperly sloped.
3. Ice Dams happen only at the eaves of the house.  T/F
Ice Dams can happen anywhere on your roof. In fact, some older 1 1/2 story homes have 5 attics. I've seen ice form on the upper attic that is about 10 ft away from the eavestrough because the upper attic has significant heat loss and the lower ones do not.
4. Gutter Protection systems can cause ice dams. T/F
Gutter Protection NEVER causes an ice dam for the same reason an eavestrough never causes an ice dam.
5. A badly installed roof can cause ice dams.  T/F
Roofs never ever cause an ice dam! Shingles are only designed to keep water from coming through in normal circumstances. Ice Dams are a heat loss issue not a roof issue!
6. Ice Dams only happen on older homes.  T/F
Even a brand new roof can have an ice dam if constructed improperly with inadequate insulation or inadequate ventilation.
7. Installing heat cables and the roof solves the problem of ice dams.  T/F
Heat cables can solve the symptom of ice dams but the do not solve it!

At The Eavestrough Company, we are always ready to help you with your eavestrough needs (and your fascia, soffit, and siding needs too!) We do quality and professional work every time. If you would like to have us come and give you an estimate, call us at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com. We would love to help you!