Water Leaking From Snow On Roof

When this occurs water can be forced under the shingles and into the attic resulting in damage to the home s interior.

Water leaking from snow on roof.

When the roof was snow and ice covered that part of the roof would melt faster causing water to pond which was then wicked up by the dormer structure. Mark any problem areas with chalk. The melted water flows under the snow and freezes as it reaches the unheated soffit area at the eaves thus creating an ice dam. An ice dam occurs when snow melts and the water freezes when it hits the colder edges of your roof.

While in the attic if water is not visible on any wood look for water running down pipes that penetrate the roof and also look for water around the chimney. If your roof vent leaks during heavy rain the rain may be blowing up under the hood and into the vent. It is common to see water ice coming through the soffit or down the exterior wall when ice dams have developed to the point where they are forcing water to back up into the roofing system. Heat leaking up from your home is melting the snowpack in the tight roof canyon.

In the photo you can still see signs of an ice dam. The soffit that meets the roof is one of the toughest areas to waterproof. After the rain has stopped and it s sunny outside examine the exterior of your roof to look for problem areas that may be causing the leak. It can happen however.

What happens is this. Ice dams also can cause leaks as water backs up under the shingles on the portion of the roof that sits over the soffit. Providing a drainage path for such water accumulations is one way to stop ice dam leaks dead in their tracks. Snow builds up on the roof and tends to melt from the bottom up but a cold snap freezes the water making the dam.

Most roofing materials are designed to work under the influence of gravity. If your house has icicles hanging off the edge of the roof this can be an indication of an ice dam formation on the roof. The backup of melted snow on the edge of your roof which can refreeze into ice is called an ice dam. Then more snow melts above the dam but is stopped by the.

This roof leaks during the snowy part of winter and during storms in the summer certainly due to poor flashing. In our experience it is unusual to get roof leaks cause by ice dams when no appreciable ice accumulations can be seen from the ground. It this is the case you need to create a breathable shield to slow the driving rain drops while still allowing air flow. In the case of heavy snow and ice during the last bad winter that s even more ponding water than usual.

This was the cause of the long standing interior moisture issues.