Ice Dam Leak Cleanup in Somerville, MA

Ice dam leak cleanup is a February and March job across Somerville. A heavy snow followed by cold nights and sunny days is the classic setup. Heat escaping from the top-floor unit warms the roof deck, snow melts, and the meltwater refreezes at the cold roof edge above the cornice. The ridge of ice holds back more water, which works its way under the roofing and into the top-floor ceiling and walls.

Why Somerville roofs are prone to ice dams

• Many triple-deckers have low-slope or nearly flat roofs, where water drains slowly and ice builds at the edge.
• Deep, decorative cornices and overhangs stay colder than the roof above the heated unit.
• Older top floors often have little attic insulation, so more heat reaches the roof deck.

Where the water shows up

Ice dam water usually appears as stains along the top-floor ceiling near exterior walls, drips at window heads, and peeling paint on the upper walls. By the time a stain shows, water has often soaked insulation in the ceiling and run down inside the exterior wall. The drying team maps the wet band with thermal imaging and pinless meters, removes soaked insulation, and dries the ceiling and wall cavities with air movers and LGR dehumidifiers. Meltwater is clean Category 1 water, so plaster can often be dried in place when drying starts early.

Fixing the cause

Drying handles the interior damage; roofers and insulation contractors handle the cause through air sealing, insulation and ventilation, and sometimes ice and water membrane at the edge. The Energy Saver pages explain air sealing and insulation, and the National Weather Service winter safety page covers storms. For rain leaks through the roof, see flat roof leak water damage.