Here's how to prevent ice dams from causing damage to your home

An extended mid-winter stretch of temperatures hovering around the freezing mark has revealed layers of ice, better known as ice dams, built up on roofs across Saskatoon.

The thick layers of ice can prevent melted snow from draining into eavestroughs and away from properties. The blocks of ice can damage shingles or soffits, and they can also lead to water damage inside the home as the water settles into attics, ceilings and drywall.

"Sometimes 16 to 20 inches of ice right along the edge of the roof," Greg Winteringham of Winterhingham Roofing said.

"As the water comes down and hits that, the water's got nowhere to go back up again. You're creating a pool on your roof of water sitting there."

Winteringham says the combination of daily high temperatures above the freezing mark and cold nights have had more people calling requesting his expertise to remove the heavy snow and ice.

"Removing the snow off your roof is the number one thing you can do to prevent ice dams," he said. "Don't start beating on the ice with an axe or a hammer because you will damage your shingles."

Winterhingham says not to worry about the thick ice layers. Once the snow is removed, UV rays from the sun will naturally melt that ice over time, even in cold temperatures.

If ice build-up is really thick, Winteringham suggests getting some environmentally-friendly ice melt that's not going to damage your ceiling or pets, which will create holes in the ice and allow ventilation to dry out the roof.

"It can get really bad to the point where the drywall can cave in," he said of possible water damage. "Most of the time, it's just little water spots that you'll notice inside."

Winteringham has a few tips and tricks to avoid ice dam problems:

• get a proper ladder if you're going to go on your roof.
• be sure to have proper footwear when you're working on ice.
• use a plastic shovel and move it in a downward motion ( the same direction shingles are applied) to avoid damage to the roof.

Homeowners can safely remove snow by using a roof rake – a tool that consists of a snow rake on a long, extendable pole that can safely reach the eaves of the roof to remove snow.

USE CAUTION

"Most of the injuries happened in the wintertime from people setting up a step ladder or not putting the ladder properly in place," Winteringham said.

As far as avoiding damming issues in the first place, Winteringham says some quick thinking earlier in the winter can avoid costly repairs as spring approaches.

He suggests roughly a day after a heavy snowfall, go out and scrape the snow from the bottom four or five feet of the roof.

"You don't have to take all the snow off. It's just that bottom four or five feet because that's where the ice dams happen," he said.

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Winteringham said homes built before 1960 likely won't have vented soffits to keep air moving through the attic. Some homes may not have overhanging roofs, further complicating water damage.

However, nearly all homes built after the mid-80s are built to resist water damage on the roof, but no home will be able to withstand multiple feet of ice dams preventing proper drainage.

SGI Canada warns not all insurance policies have coverage for damage caused by ice dams, so be sure to talk to an insurance broker to make sure ice dam coverage is provided.

No matter what, Winterhingham says if you decide not to call in professional help, be safe.

"Invest in some fall protection. You can pretty much buy that at any store anywhere and go out there and tie a rope to yourself. Just in case you slip on the ice, at least you're gonna slip and fall and not fall off the roof," he said.