Interior water damage from ice damming — finding where the water actually went, drying it, and fixing the cause before next winter.
Ice dams form when heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the upper roof, the meltwater runs down to the cold eave, and it refreezes into a ridge that holds the next melt behind it. That standing water backs up under the shingles — which are designed to shed water running down, not to hold water sitting still — and enters the building. By the time you see a stain on a ceiling or water running down the inside of an exterior wall, the wet area is usually in the attic and the wall cavity above it. We handle the interior side: finding where the water traveled, drying it to measured moisture content, and identifying the heat loss that caused the dam in the first place.
Request a Consultation →Why Choose NERD
- Thermal imaging to find water inside walls and attics, not just the stain
- Drying to measured moisture content, documented daily
- Prevents the mold problem that follows a wet attic
- Cause identified, not just damage repaired
- Insurance-ready documentation of the loss
Our Process
Find the Actual Wet Area
Thermal imaging and moisture meters map where the water went inside the assembly, which is routinely several feet from the visible stain.
Stop Further Intrusion
Emergency measures to limit ongoing water entry while the dam is still active — we coordinate with roofing or ice removal specialists for work on the roof itself.
Extract and Dry
Insulation holding meltwater is removed, cavities are opened only where needed, and the structure is dried to target moisture content with daily readings.
Address the Mold Risk
Wet attic insulation and sheathing left alone becomes a mold problem in four to six weeks. Drying fast is what prevents the second, larger job.
Find the Heat Loss
Air sealing gaps, insufficient attic insulation, and ducts or bath fans venting into the attic are the usual causes. We identify them so next winter is different.
An ice dam is a heat problem that looks like a weather problem
Snow on a roof does not melt evenly from the sun. It melts from below, where warm air leaking out of the living space into the attic heats the underside of the sheathing. That meltwater runs down the roof until it reaches the eave, which hangs past the heated space and stays at outdoor temperature — and there it refreezes. Repeat that over a few cold days and you build a ridge of ice that holds every subsequent melt behind it as standing water. Two houses on the same street with identical weather will behave completely differently depending on how well their attics are sealed and insulated. That is why the fix is not a better roof; it is a tighter ceiling plane.
Shingles do not hold water, they shed it
An asphalt roof works because water runs down across overlapping courses and never gets a chance to sit. Standing water behind an ice dam defeats that entirely — it wicks up under the shingle laps by capillary action and reaches the sheathing. From there it follows framing wherever gravity and the structure take it, which is often sideways along a top plate before it drops. That is why the ceiling stain in the bedroom frequently has nothing to do with what is above the bedroom, and why treating the stain is the wrong response. The first job is mapping where water actually went.
The mold clock starts the moment the insulation gets wet
Wet fiberglass or cellulose in an attic holds water against the sheathing and stops doing its job, which makes the heat loss worse and feeds the next dam. Left alone in a cold attic it dries slowly if at all, and given a few weeks of above-freezing weather it becomes a mold problem across a much larger area than the original leak. The single most valuable thing about responding quickly to ice dam damage is that it is the difference between a drying job in February and a remediation job in April.
What we do and what we do not
We handle the inside of the building: locating the water, removing saturated insulation and materials, drying to measured moisture content with daily readings, and documenting the loss for your claim. We also identify the heat loss driving the dam — the gaps, the thin insulation, the bath fan venting into the attic instead of through the roof — so the problem is addressable before next winter. Steaming ice off a roof and roofing repair are separate trades with their own equipment and insurance, and we will point you to them rather than pretend otherwise. Never let anyone chip or hack ice off your roof with tools; it destroys shingles and turns a water problem into a roof replacement.
Call about ice dam damage if you see
- A ridge of ice at the eaves with icicles hanging from the gutter line
- Water stains appearing on ceilings or at the top of exterior walls in winter
- Damp or matted insulation visible in the attic
- Peeling paint or bubbling drywall along an exterior wall after a thaw
- Frost or condensation on the underside of the roof sheathing
- Uneven snow melt on the roof, or bare patches while neighbors stay covered
Ice Dam Water Damage: common questions
Should I get the ice removed first, or deal with the inside?
Both matter, but they are different trades. Removing the dam safely — with steam, not hammers or picks — stops further water entry and is worth doing while the weather is still cold. The interior side is what determines whether you have a drying job or a mold remediation job six weeks later, and that one is time-sensitive in a way people underestimate. If you can only do one thing today, get the wet materials found and drying.
My ceiling stain is small. Is it really worth calling anyone?
The stain is where water exited, not where it is. A palm-sized mark on a ceiling regularly sits below several square feet of saturated attic insulation and a wet top plate. A thermal camera and a moisture meter answer the question in about twenty minutes, and knowing the real extent is what lets you decide whether it needs anything at all.
Does homeowners insurance cover ice dam damage?
Often, though it depends entirely on your policy language. Many policies treat sudden water intrusion from an ice dam as a covered peril while excluding the cost of preventing it — meaning the interior damage may be covered while the attic insulation upgrade is not. We cannot tell you what your carrier will decide; what we can do is document the loss thoroughly so the decision is made on evidence. Report it promptly, since most policies require timely notice.
Can I stop this from happening again?
Usually, and it is rarely about the roof. Air sealing the penetrations between the living space and the attic — around light fixtures, the attic hatch, plumbing stacks, and top plates — plus adequate insulation depth and properly vented bath and dryer exhaust keeps the roof deck cold enough that snow does not melt from underneath. Heat cables treat the symptom and add an electric bill; sealing and insulation treat the cause.
How quickly can you get out during a winter storm?
We are based in Epping, which puts most of the Seacoast inside about half an hour, and being local matters most in exactly this situation — after a regional freeze-thaw everyone calls at once and out-of-area crews are still driving in. That said, we are a small team, and in a busy week we will tell you honestly when we can be there rather than promise a window we cannot hold.
Ready to get started?
Contact us today to schedule a consultation or request an estimate for Ice Dam Water Damage.