Angie's LIST Guide to
Winter roof leaks caused by ice dams

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining off the roof. Spotting one quickly can help curb the damage to your home.

During periods of freezing and thawing and refreezing, water becomes trapped above the ice and finds its way beneath the shingles causing a leak inside the home. The lower the pitch of the roof, the more likely there is to be this problem.

Ice dams can lift roofing shingles and let water filtrate in. They can also pull gutters off, which can cause structural damage and lead to potential internal flooding. Hanging icicles might indicate ice dam formation.

You can also have an ice shield installed along the lower edge of the roof line. This is relatively inexpensive to do when a new roof is being installed, but much more expensive to add to an existing roof.

Another trend is heading the gutters. If improving the ventilation of your roof to prevent icicle formation isn’t in your budget -- or if you've already tended to that and still get ice dams -- consider a heated gutter system. You may have seen -- or used our yourself --heated cables used on roofs to prevent ice buildup. Heated gutters follow the same principle. With a cover to help keep leaves and debris out of your gutter, it’s an all-seasons bonus for this investment. You will, however, need to hire a separate electrician to do the wiring for the heating element. But the time, energy and worry you’ll save during the winter months could be worth the investment. Large icicles can rip your gutters off, which requires an expensive fix.