How to prevent ice dams on your commercial properties

12/13/2021 (Permalink)

Ice build up on a house roof

Every year in west Michigan we deal with an excessive amount of snow and cold temperatures that take a toll on your property. When the snow falls the last thing you think about ice dams that form on your commercial properties and the damage that they can cause. With some steps of prevention and things to look for you can save a lot of headache and money this winter season.

Things to look for when you suspect you have an ice dam problem.

• You see icicles forming behind the gutter

• Ice or water starts to form on the siding or around windows

• Ice begins to build on top of the gutters or lower edge of roof

• You see icicles forming on the edge of your roof this can be with or without gutters

• Ice begins coming through the soffit vents or through the soffit itself.

Preventing Ice Dams

• You can scrape snow from the roof whenever it falls, using a snow rake or a broom or plastic shovel. Keeping the excess snow from building up on the edge of the roof

• Heated cables are another prevention tip for ice dams. Attached with clips along the roof's edge in a zigzag pattern, heated cabled combat ice dams that lift shingles and cause leaks.

These simple tips and things to look for will make it easier to know what the next steps are when dealing with water leaks in your home. Prevention is the key focus, but sometimes the damage is done to the property and cleaning up the water that made its way in from the roof is the top priority, and that's where SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids, Ionia, and Montcalm Counties comes in and can make it "Like it never even happened."

Dealing with water damage from an ice dam? Give us a call! (616) 647-4300