Ice dams form when heat from inside your home warms the roof deck enough to melt snow at the top, but the eaves remain cold enough to refreeze that meltwater. The result is a wall of ice along the roof edge that forces water under shingles and into your home.
Why Ice Dams Form on Boise Homes
The root cause is almost always an attic that's too warm. When your attic temperature is significantly higher than the outside air, snow on your roof melts unevenly. Specific conditions that make Boise homes prone to ice dams include insufficient attic insulation, blocked soffit vents, air leaks from living space into the attic, and inadequate attic ventilation overall.
Prevention: The Right Way
The permanent solution to ice dams is keeping your attic cold by improving insulation and ventilation. This means air sealing all penetrations from living space into the attic, adding insulation to bring the attic floor to current Idaho energy code requirements, and ensuring soffit and ridge vents are clear and providing adequate airflow. When Blue Goat Roofing does an annual maintenance assessment, attic ventilation is one of our 13 check points specifically because of its role in ice dam prevention.
If You Already Have an Ice Dam
Do not attempt to remove an ice dam with a pick or hammer. Chipping at ice on shingles causes more damage than the ice dam itself. A professional can apply calcium chloride in a sock along the dam to create channels for water to drain. If water is already coming into your home, call us immediately.