Ice Damming - Am I Covered?

The short answer to this questions is unfortunately, maybe. Whether or not damage due to an ice dam is covered depends not only on the company that provides you with your home insurance, but even the type of home insurance you carry with that company. If an ice dam is covered, it would also be subject to your home insurance deductible, so filing a claim may not even be worth it due to the damages normally not being too extreme. Then, you also have to know if your rates would be affected due to the filing of a claim. The best course of action would be to speak to your Agent. If you don't have an Agent, get one.

This is a very helpful video about Ice Damming; how it happens and how to prevent it.

What is an ice dam? An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof, usually at the gutters or soffit. When it forms the water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water. This pool of water can leak into your home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas

What causes ice dams?

Ice dams are usually caused by heavy snowfall and improper ventilation in the attic. This causes warmer areas in your attic then the snow begins to melt, even when the outside temperature is well below freezing. When the accumulated snow on your roof starts melting it runs down your roof underneath the snow until it reaches a "colder" section like the soffit's, valleys or in gutters then it begins to freeze again, this process of thawing and refreezing is what causes an ice dam.

How to prevent an ice dam?

Cleaning the gutters on your home can help prevent ice dams from occurring as quickly but they can still occur if the conditions are right. The gutters will be just as cold as it is outside and in some cases, full of frozen debris. So even if you don't have a soffit for the water to refreeze in, the melted water will most likely refreeze when flowing into the gutters. Properly ventilating and insulating the attic is usually the best way to prevent ice dams. You can also purchase a roof rake to assist in removing snow from your roof, not allowing it to accumulate on the edges.