Ice dams can cause water and mold damage to your New Milford home

1/21/2017 (Permalink)

A melting ice dam can cause water and mold damage even where you cant see it.

Winter weather is the source of many of the calls we receive at our office in Brookfield, CT. In our last blog post, we discussed the actions that homeowners should take if the pipes in their home freeze and burst due to low temperatures.  Another common call we get in the winter is water damage in homes due to ice dams on the roof. 

After a snowfall,  the roof over the attic of a home can get warm enough to melt the underside of the layer of snow on the roof. This water trickles down between the layer of snow and the shingles until it reaches the eave of the roof, which stays cold because it extends in the unheated area beyond the side of the house. There, the water freezes, eventually becoming a mound of ice. As the water accumulates, it backs up under the shingles of your roof. In time, it will drip through your insulation and into the ceilings and walls of your home. 

Prevention of ice dams can be achieved by insulating your home properly and using heated cables, as well as other methods. If an ice dam has already formed on your roof, you can rake your roof with a special tool to remove the snow as well as deice it as described in the link above.

If the ice has already started to melt into your home, call SERVPRO of Newtown and Southern Litchfield County! The leaking water will cause wet insulation, wall studs and sheetrock, not only damaging your home but also creating an environment perfect for mold and mildew growth. 

SERVPRO of Newtown and Southern Litchfield County's team is IICRC certified for water and mold damage and has the training required to mitigate the devastating effects water and mold can cause.  Call us any time at (203) 743-5362 if you discover water damage in your home.