Where Can St. Anthony Homeowners Find Water Restoration Help?

3/7/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO tailors mitigation and remediation to your circumstances

When driving through residential areas of St. Anthony during the cold and snow season, the sight of icicles can seem festive and evokes a sense of coziness. In reality, icicles' presence indicates a problem with the home's insulation, the roof, the gutter system, or all three. Failing to address the factors that create the ice dams that cascade into icicles causes significant water damage issues inside a home.

What Is the "Topography" of an Ice Dam?

During the late fall into spring in St. Anthony, residences undergo a series of precipitation, freeze, and thaw cycles that cause ice dams if the conditions warrant. One of the reasons homeowners receive so much advice about gutter cleanup in Minnesota is the potential for leaves and debris to clog gutters and downspouts right before the freezing rain and snow begin. The increasingly cold weather begins to freeze the water, mixed now with leaves and other debris. When the precipitation encounters a barrier to a clear passageway to a drain in the form of a solid "ice dam," meltwater looks for another outlet, spilling over the gutter and eaves to develop the stalactite-like structure dripping in icy glory off the roof edge.

Does All the Meltwater Form Icicles?

If the formation of icicles in St. Anthony were the only issue, water damage inside the home would not be a concern. Unfortunately, at the "headwaters" of the frozen waterfall is the dam, and the water collecting there moves in many directions. During colder periods, ice forms, but the sun can melt the icicle and the dam during the day. The water seeks any outlet, and if there is a way inside a residence at the roof edge, the water follows. Indeed, conditions inside the attic or upper levels of a home can cause and maintain the problem of ice dams:

• Poorly insulated upper stories can "leak" warm air at gutter level, exacerbating the dammed ice's melting.
• Incomplete or missing seals at flashings and roof edges also allow warm air to escape while welcoming water inside.
• As water freezes, it expands, causing increasing pressure under the shingles admitting more water that eventually soaks into the structure and migrates, sometimes far from the roof.

What Are Some Ice Dam Solutions?

Homeowners in St. Anthony can avoid the ice dam challenge with maintenance and enhancements. Practical tips include:

• Routine cleaning and preventive repairs of gutters and downspouts
• An energy audit in the upper levels of the home to discover gaps and evaluate if additional insulation is needed
• Investigation of after-market roof accessories that block leaves or heat the edges of the roof enough to remove the snow that fills the gutters

Who Can Help with Ice Dam Mitigation and Damage Remediation?

If you have leakage into your home from ice dams, swift assistance from the St. Anthony water restoration experts at SERVPRO is a wise choice. We are familiar with the harm caused by the glittering ice waterfalls and help stop the water spread plus provide remediation for the materials compromised:

• Assessment of the upper story damage and migration
• Water removal from building cavities
• Identification of likely warm-air avenues and help with arranging repairs and upgrades
• Structural drying with our professional-grade air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers
• Mold assessment and remediation help if needed

Call on SERVPRO of Northeast Minneapolis when the gingerbread-house look of winter icicles signal potentially devastating water damage inside. We are available for consultation daily at (612) 421-2040 24/7.