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Snow Storm/Ice Jam leads to Mold

Ice jams caused during snow/ice storms can lead to water and mold damages. SERVPRO of Western Lancaster serviced this home's damaged ceiling.

During freezing weather, heat from your home or business can escape through your roof and melt snow on your roof. The snowmelt can then trickle down to the roof’s edge and refreeze, creating an ice dam that leaves additional snowmelt with no place to go but possibly under your roof. The following IBHS guidance will reduce your risk of ice dams.

• Keep all drains, scuppers, gutters, and downspouts free of debris and vegetation that may restrict proper flow.
• Remove or relocate heat sources that are installed in open attic areas directly under the roof, such as an attic.
• Insulate light fixtures in the ceiling below an unheated attic space.
• If you have penetrations into the attic, such as vents, seal and insulate them so that daylight cannot be seen and airflow is minimal.
• If ice dams form around the drains, connect heating cables to the drains to prevent ice buildup. Heating cables can also be placed on the roof, connecting them to the drainage system so a path is created for the melting ice to follow.

Dams can tear off gutters, loosen shingles, and cause water to back up and pour into your house. When that happens, the results aren't pretty: peeling paint, warped floors, stained and sagging ceilings. Not to mention soggy insulation in the attic, which loses R-value and becomes a magnet for mold and mildew. Call SERVPRO of Western Lancaster at 717-665-1270 for Fast Service!