Is Ice Damming Dangerous for Chicago Properties?

8/14/2022 (Permalink)

Water can damage your home anytime of the year. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 for professional services and remediation.

Freezing Pipes and Ice Dams from a Polar Vortex Cause Water Damage in Chicago

Ridges of ice forming along the edges of a roof can become a threatening scenario for your Chicago home or business. When thawing water cannot safely find its way off the roof via gutter channels, downspouts, and diversion installations, this ridge of ice grows in size and ponds water on the roof. This accumulating water can allow for seepage through the shingles, vents, wall systems, and into related areas of your home. This water damaging penetration can be costly and challenging to dry and restore, from the attic to the basement!

Effective Water Removal and Evaporative Drying

These freezing weather events cause extensive water damage in many Chicago properties. Because temperatures are expected in the single digits and wind chills even more severe, the threats of burst pipes require prompt action from our responding technicians. Damaged plumbing often involves the removal of standing water using advanced and efficient extractors. 

Can Loss Effects Get Reduced with Quick Actions?

As leading restoration professionals across multiple franchises locally, we can be a top choice for large-loss recovery and restoration during an emergency. Our SERVPRO team can begin establishing containment barriers by hanging poly-sheeting to isolate drying areas. These initial actions can ensure more efficient management of humidity, airflow, and temperature, thereby mitigating the water damage.

What Materials Require Repair and Replacement After Damming?

Whether it is one of the thousands of homes in the area or large commercial structures, ice damming can impact several building materials. Some of the most common areas that require our general contractor license for repairs and build back include:

• Shingles
• Roof supports
• Underlayment
• Flooring
• Wall Systems
• Insulation

Having sufficient insulation can often reduce the creation and sustaining of ice dams on your roof that can generate attic moisture. Whenever you contend with roof breaches that damage your home or business, you can count on our SERVPRO of Evergreen Park / South Chicago City team to help when you call (773) 337-3900. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.