those from away

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by CapeCodder

This winter was tough mentally because we had put so much work into the house and we had an ice damn form (it was a bad one). It caused so much damage after working so hard on the house, now we have a bunch of Sheetrock to hang and painting...and after spending most of last summer doing that...well it just brought me down a little. I think had that not happened this winter wouldn't have seemed quite so bad.

I guess we'll see what the next winter brings...right now I'm elated that my hyacinths are pushing up and my snow mounds are down to eight feet!

Ice dams can be a big broblem! The same thing happend to a friend of mine in Yarmouth. They lost a ceiling and half a wall in a second floor apartment that happend to be empty this winter. The damage was pretty extensive. We get ice dams on our house now and then as everyone else does. Many people get out a ladder and a hatchet and chop holes in them to let out the water. Problem with that is you end up damaging the roof sometimes. I hook up a hose to the hot water tank and spray a hard stream up on the roof until I have melted several holes in the ice dam. It doesn't hurt the roof and is a pretty fast way to get rid of the dam. Since I started doing this we have has no trouble at all with ice dams. Watch your ice sickles. When they start to get really long you're probably getting an ice dam. That's the time to melt the dam before the water backs up under the shingles.

[CapeCodder]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Ice dams can be a big broblem! The same thing happend to a friend of mine in Yarmouth. They lost a ceiling and half a wall in a second floor apartment that happend to be empty this winter. The damage was pretty extensive. We get ice dams on our house now and then as everyone else does. Many people get out a ladder and a hatchet and chop holes in them to let out the water. Problem with that is you end up damaging the roof sometimes. I hook up a hose to the hot water tank and spray a hard stream up on the roof until I have melted several holes in the ice dam. It doesn't hurt the roof and is a pretty fast way to get rid of the dam. Since I started doing this we have has no trouble at all with ice dams. Watch your ice sickles. When they start to get really long you're probably getting an ice dam. That's the time to melt the dam before the water backs up under the shingles.

You know...I thought I was all prepared...had a roof rake...had the heat thing up there...hahaha. I missed one little storm and the mother of all dams built up...thing was two feet thick. So...we bought a 32 foot ladder and chopped away at that dam...and guess what? We did just what you said...wrecked the roof....sigh. We're having a metal roof put on this summer...I never want to deal with a dam like that again.

On a good note...all the interior damage was covered by insurance and because the flooring and work was new there was no depreciation! We got a good amount and we're going to do the work ourselves (as much as we can anyway).

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by CapeCodder

You know...I thought I was all prepared...had a roof rake...had the heat thing up there...hahaha. I missed one little storm and the mother of all dams built up...thing was two feet thick. So...we bought a 32 foot ladder and chopped away at that dam...and guess what? We did just what you said...wrecked the roof....sigh. We're having a metal roof put on this summer...I never want to deal with a dam like that again.

On a good note...all the interior damage was covered by insurance and because the flooring and work was new there was no depreciation! We got a good amount and we're going to do the work ourselves (as much as we can anyway).

It happens to the best of us! look around at roof lines when you're out for a drive ...you'll see what I mean. A lot of people put the axe through the roof! They always patch it with shingles that don't quite match. Cant be helped sometimes...good luck with your repairs! Keep a hose in the cellar next winter! Just in case!