Chicago’s wintry weather is leading to ice dams, which can damage homes

Homeowners in the Chicago area are faced with a threat from all the wintry weather in recent weeks, with ice dams forming in their gutters.

Those dams can block gutters, pushing water back under shingles as it melts off of rooftops, according to experts. Between that and sheets of ice crashing off of roofs, there is a great potential for damage to homes during this time of year, experts warn.

Tuesday could pose a threat to homeowners, as warm temperatures could cause snowmelt, which could then result in leaks and other structural issues.

“When you get a lot of snow and the temperatures are remaining below freezing, they kind of get closer to that thaw territory. The sun comes out, and it creates perfect conditions for ice damming,” Kevin Neuhaus of Hanson Roofing said.

Newhaus said he’s been fielding lots of calls from homeowners, with crews climbing on rooftops to help reduce the possibility of issues.

“They’re getting as much snow off the roof as they can to really alleviate a lot of that fuel, which is the melt from that snow through the heat of your house,” he said. “It gets to the gutter edge, and it freezes because there’s no heating source, and then you pretty much just wind up with an ice dam.”

Some companies use steam to help clear ice-filled gutters.

“Most common (problem) is leaking, and then I’ve seen a few of them where the ice dam will actually cause a sheet of ice to fall off of your roof, and it’ll cause damage to structures, fences and plants,” Nathan Thayer of Ice Dam Guys said.

Residents can try to call a roofer to help clear ice dams, but another alternative is to purchase a roof rake to try to get excess snow down so that it doesn’t melt and cause issues.

“If your house isn’t too tall, you can get a roof rake, and you can alleviate the problem by getting the snow away from the gutter edge,” Neuhaus said.