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Ice Dam

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What is an ice dam?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (also known as water) from draining off the roof. The water that doesn't drain then backs up behind the dam and may leak into your house causing damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and more.

Ice Dam Prevention 

The dams are bad and you need to do something fast:

• Remove snow from the roof. You can remove snow with a roof "rake" or push broom, but those may damage your shingles and other roofing materials.
• If you have a flow of water entering your house, you can make channels through the ice dams to allow the water to drain off the roof. At best, this is a temporary solution.

WARNING!

• Removing ice dams and snow are dangerous jobs. Anyone working on the top of the roof or below are risking injury and there is a risk of damage to the roof too. You are probably best served to contact professionals to help you with this work.

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Winterize Your Home - Roof, Gutter, Downspouts

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Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

• In Minnesota, you know the temperatures are going to be below freezing so you will want to be sure you have enough insulation in your attic to keep warm air from creeping up to your roof and causing ice dams. 
  
• Check flashing to make certain the water can't get into your house. If you aren't certain what roof flashing is, This Old House has some helpful information.
• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles to protect your roof and keep the weather on the exterior of your house. 
• Clean out any leaves, pine needles, acorns and other items in the gutters. Use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris. Having the gutters and downspouts in good working condition will help move moisture away from your house and keep you nice and dry inside.
• Install extensions on your downspouts to direct the water away from your house. You can also look into leaf guards for your gutters, but make sure you investigate how well they work, some styles are much better than others. 

Winterize Your Home - Windows and Doors

Photo by Riley

Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

• Inspect the exterior of your house for crevice cracks; exposed entry points around pipes and faucets and seal them to prevent cold air from seeping in and keep rodents out.
• Use weatherstripping around doors to help seal them and prevent cold air from drafting into your house. While you are working on the weatherstripping, run some caulk around the edges of your windows.
• This is the time to fix cracked glass in windows and doors. If you need to replace an entire window glass, be sure to prime and paint the exposed wood so it is ready to go through winter. Most local hardware stores fix windows in case you need to have that done. 
• If you have a basement, it would be a great idea to protect the window wells by covering them with plastic shields. This will keep water and debris from filling up the well space and causing water to leak into the house.
• Now is the time to take your screens down and clean them for winter storage. Then put your storm windows in to help insulate the house. If you don't have storm windows, you can always put up 3M window insulator film to help keep your house warmer.