Ice dams — at a glance
- What they are: ridges of ice at the edge of your roof that trap melted snow behind them. The trapped water finds its way under shingles and into your attic, then your ceilings and walls.
- Root cause: warm air leaking into the attic from the living space below melts snow on the upper roof; the melt refreezes at the cold eaves where the overhang isn’t warmed from below.
- Short-term fix: rake snow 3-4 feet back from the eaves after each heavy storm. Call a pro for existing dams — a hammer in the hands of a homeowner wrecks shingles.
- Permanent fix: seal attic air leaks, add insulation to R-49+, improve ridge-and-soffit ventilation. A one-time project that pays for itself in winter and summer.
- If water is already coming through the ceiling: call (385) 250-2825. The ice dam is causing active damage every hour it sits there.
How ice dams form (the physics)
- Snow accumulates on the roof.
- The living space inside your house is 70°F; heat leaks into the attic through recessed lights, bath fans, poorly-sealed hatches, and gaps where interior walls meet the ceiling.
- The attic warms the roof deck. Snow on the warmed section melts.
- The melted water flows down the roof until it reaches the eaves, where the overhang hangs out in the cold air (not warmed from below).
- Water freezes at the cold eaves and builds up into a ridge of ice — the dam.
- More meltwater flows down behind the dam and pools against it.
- Pooled water finds a shingle gap and flows under the shingles into the roof deck, insulation, and ceiling drywall below.
Icicles hanging from your gutters are the visible sign. The invisible damage is already happening in the attic.
Utah-specific ice dam patterns
In Utah County, we see three housing types most prone to ice dams:
- 1970s-80s valley homes with original attic insulation at R-19 or less. Steep valley snow accumulation on roofs that leak heat badly.
- Mapleton Bench and Provo foothills homes at higher elevations with heavier snow loads and longer freeze cycles.
- Townhomes and condos with shared attic space — one unit’s heat leak dams the shared eave for all units.
What to do right now (short-term)
- Clear snow from the lower 3-4 feet of roof with a roof rake (long-handled, from the ground). No ladder work in winter — ice-covered gutters and ladders don’t mix.
- Don’t chip the ice dam yourself. A hammer or ice pick ruins shingles and creates leaks that persist long after the dam melts.
- Calcium chloride ice melt in a cloth sock laid vertically across the dam will melt a drainage channel through it. Does not harm shingles (unlike rock salt). This is a temporary fix only.
- If water is already inside: catch what you can in buckets, document the damage with photos, call Vault at (385) 250-2825. Water in a ceiling cavity feeds mold within 48 hours.
The permanent fix
Ice dams are an attic problem, not a roof problem. The three-step cure:
- Air seal the attic floor. Caulk and foam around every ceiling penetration — recessed lights, exhaust fans, electrical boxes, plumbing vents, duct boots, attic hatch. This is the #1 fix.
- Add insulation to R-49 or higher. Blown-in cellulose or fiberglass over the sealed attic floor. Most Utah homes built before 2000 have R-19 to R-30 — not enough.
- Verify ridge-and-soffit ventilation. Cold outside air should flow in through soffit vents, up through rafter bays (keep insulation out of the airflow path), and out through the ridge vent. A properly vented attic stays within 10°F of outside air temperature.
Vault doesn’t do insulation retrofit, but we work with local Utah County weatherization crews we trust. If an ice dam has already damaged your interior, we handle the water, mold, and reconstruction side.
Interior damage from ice dams
What we see when water comes in from an ice dam:
- Stained drywall at the ceiling-wall corner nearest the outside wall.
- Bubbled paint on the ceiling.
- Wet insulation (lost R-value, mold food).
- Mold growth in the attic within 2-5 days of the first wetting event.
- Rotted roof decking at the eaves after multiple winters of unaddressed dams.
Insurance note for ice dam damage
Standard Utah homeowner’s policies cover interior water damage from ice dams as long as the damage is sudden-and-accidental. Policies don’t cover the ice dam itself, roof repair, or the gutter damage — just the interior drywall, insulation, and contents. Chronic ice dam damage over multiple winters is often classified as deferred maintenance and denied. See how we handle insurance claims.
Ice dam leaking into your house right now?
Call (385) 250-2825. The longer water sits in your ceiling cavity, the worse the mold and structural damage get.
Water damage timeline · Water damage services · Mold remediation · Insurance claims · Winter pipe protection
More guides: Frozen hose bib leaks · Pipe types and leaks
Related guides
Related new guides