How To Handle Ceiling Leaks From Ice Dams

2/23/2021 (Permalink)

When ceiling leaks from ice dams cause major water damage and mold growth in your Connecticut home, we're Here to Help!

During the snowy winter months in Fairfield County, Connecticut, ice dams and winter roof leaks can become a serious issue for homeowners. When your ceiling leaks from snow, you may not be sure exactly what to do. Here, we will review what to do when you have a ceiling leak from an ice dam in Connecticut.

7 Steps To Handle Ceiling Leaks From An Ice Dam

1.  Take Immediate Action

When you realize an ice dam has formed on your roof, you shouldn't ignore it. If you do, the ice dam can cause your roof to leak and allow melted snow and ice to find its way into your home. If you're already dealing with a ceiling leak from snow in Fairfield County, act quickly to prevent extensive water damage, mold growth, or structural deterioration inside of your home.

2.  Contain the Ceiling Water Leak

To help prevent water from migrating to other parts of your home or through floors, gather any buckets, pots, towels, or tarps you may have to catch leaking water. Move any furniture or rugs away from the ceiling leak to protect them from water damage.

If you're dealing with a large water bubble in the ceiling, poke a small hole into it and drain the water into a large can, rather than letting it burst on its own. This way, you can control where the excess water goes.

3.  Call a Local Ice Dam Removal Company

If you don't remove the ice dam on your roof in Connecticut, the trapped melted snow and ice will only continue to leak into your attic and trickle down to your living spaces. This means that any efforts you make to clean up ceiling leaks or remove excess moisture will be ruined until the ice dam melts by itself.

When it comes to removing an ice dam, there are many DIY methods. For the safety of yourself and the roof of your home, we always advise hiring a professional for ice dam removal. When your roof is covered in snow and ice, climbing on it can be extremely dangerous. Then, chipping off ice with a mallet can also break or dislodge your roof shingles, making your roof damages worse.

A professional ice dam removal company should utilize a steam machine, which melts ice dams off of your roof. This method is the safest, fastest, and most effective.

4.  Call A Water Damage Restoration Company in Connecticut

Once you've arranged for the ice dam to be removed by a professional, your next call should be to your local water damage cleanup company, like SERVPRO of Westport/Fairfield. A water damage restoration company in Fairfield County can completely restore your home to pre-damage conditions, addressing all areas of moisture or mold growth.

A professional water damage company is needed after a ceiling leak from an ice dam because of how much damage they can cause to your home. Water and moisture can cause serious water damage such as sagging ceilings or walls, wood rot, or warped floors, along with mold growth and wet insulation. Without taking the proper steps to address water damage in your home, you can end up with much worse damages in the future.

5.  File An Insurance Claim

Many customers ask: Are ice dams covered by homeowner's insurance? Luckily, ceiling leaks from ice dams are covered by your insurance policy. Your insurance company should cover the costs of water or structural damages caused by ice or snow leaks.

You will still need to pay out of pocket for ice dam removal as your insurance company will not cover it, which is around $1,000.

6.  Have Your Roof Inspected and Repaired

If you've had an ice dam roof leak, you need to take steps to have your roof repaired so that you can prevent further leaks. Once an ice dam causes water to leak into your home, it has likely created a space for water to also enter your home after heavy rains.

Contact a local roofing contractor in Connecticut to look for dark patches, missing shingles, damaged shingles, wet attic insulation, roof sagging and more to create a repair plan for your roof in Weston.

7.  Take Steps To Prevent Further Ice Dams

If an ice dam has formed once, it's likely to form again after the next big snowstorm if you take no action to prevent them. You don't want your home to sustain water damage every time it snows in Fairfield County. 

To prevent ice dams on your roof, try some of the following tips:

• Use a roof rake to remove snow on the roof before it has a chance to melt
• Better insulate your attic to prevent warm air from leaking in from the living space
• To prevent a warm roof, have a ventilation system installed which keeps the roof structure cool
• Clean your gutters so that melting snow can easily flow off the roof
• Make sure that no exhaust fans or air ducts are expelling warm air into the attic

Call SERVPRO 24/7 For Immediate Assistance With Ceilings Leaks From Ice Dams - 203-707-1952

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