Roofs become a concern as snow piles up after storms – My Fox Boston

Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 4:39 PM

DEDHAM, Mass. - Three rounds of weekend snow are starting to pile up on people's roofs, raising concerns about ice dams and other problems.

We tagged along with a roofing company Monday who got a couple dozen calls after the latest storm.

The roofers cleared the snow off a roof, but not before ice dams caused some damage inside.

We don't even know what's happening underneath with maybe wood rot and stuff like that, homeowner Pat Ayoub explained.

John and Pat Ayoub thought after the infamous winter of 2015 their roof problems were over. That year, ice dams and roof collapses became regular occurrences all over the state.

The Ayoubs had leaking caused by ice dams, so they had some work done. But the problem's back again.

Water from their roof is leaking through their ceiling and down their kitchen cabinets.

Right here -- coming in -- we put a little cup here and we had some leaking coming in on this side too, Pat said. Roofer Parker Willard, of Willard Roofing in Dedham, says the problem lies in the design of the edge of the Ayoubs' roof.

Theres absolutely no overhang, he said.

Ice dams occur when heat leaking from inside a home melts the snow on the roof. The melted snow trickles down to the colder edge of the roof and refreezes, forming a "dam."

The dam traps the melting snow which leaks through the roof or trim into the home.

It keeps roofers very busy.

We've had a couple dozen calls. Nothing comparatively speaking to 2015, but we're seeing that people are being pro-active, Willard said.

He says you can clear off your own roof with the right tools, like a roof rake and calcium chloride.

You never want to go up with the snow rake. If you noticed, I put it up and then I brought it down. If you go up with it, you potentially snap a shingle, said Willard.

But he advises leaving really high roofs to the pros.

Rain is in the forecast for later in the week, which can be a dangerous situation -- especially for businesses with flat roofs as the snow absorbs all of the rain water and becomes very heavy.

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Roofs become a concern as snow piles up after storms - My Fox Boston