What causes ice dams? Bad ventilation and heavy accumulations of snow!
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An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof, usually at the gutters or in areas with heavy snow accumulation that melt and re-freeze, slowly building a wall of ice. The water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water. This pool of water can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.
Ice dams are usually caused by 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 and it begins to freeze again creating an ice dam. These colder areas are usually above the soffits or in valleys and gutters.