JLC • NEW ENGLAND EDITION • MARCH 1995
I've seen a lot of ice dams in my 24
years in Vermont, both as a builder
and as a home inspector. But in the
winter of '94, there were far more problems
with leaks from ice dams than ever
before. According to several builders
I've talked to, the same was true in
other parts of the country. Many of the
leaks were caused by severe ice dams on
roofs that had never leaked before.
What Causes Ice Dams?
Ice dams form when heat loss causes
the snow pack on the roof to melt.
The water runs down the roof under
the insulating layer of snow until