Water Leaking From Snow On Roof

In the case of heavy snow and ice during the last bad winter that s even more ponding water than usual.

Water leaking from snow on roof.

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. Snow builds up on the roof and tends to melt from the bottom up but a cold snap freezes the water making the dam. 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.

Most roofing materials are designed to work under the influence of gravity. When that blocked water from melted snow or ice cannot escape off of the roof it can accumulate and can back up to a depth that causes the water to find an opening to leak into the building. 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.

This was the cause of the long standing interior moisture issues. When this occurs water can be forced under the shingles and into the attic resulting in damage to the home s interior. The melted water flows under the snow and freezes as it reaches the unheated soffit area at the eaves thus creating an ice dam. In the photo you can still see signs of an ice dam.

And on occasion a hard driving rain with whipping wind will cause roof vents to leak water. Heat leaking up from your home is melting the snowpack in the tight roof canyon. 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. An ice dam occurs when snow melts and the water freezes when it hits the colder edges of your roof.

It this is the case you need to create a breathable shield to slow the driving rain drops while still allowing air flow. It can happen however. This roof leaks during the snowy part of winter and during storms in the summer certainly due to poor flashing. The cold weather turns the super chilled water to ice and the ice pack begins to get thicker and thicker creating a dam quite like hoover dam but a much smaller.

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. 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.

The backup of melted snow on the edge of your roof which can refreeze into ice is called an ice dam.