Ice Dam and Roof Leak Water Damage in Brookline, MA

Ice dam water rarely shows up where it starts. The tech who does the walkthrough begins in the attic and at the top-floor ceiling, then follows the water down the exterior wall cavities with pinless meters and thermal imaging. The extraction crew pulls standing water from the floors, wet blown-in or batt insulation comes out, and air movers and dehumidifiers dry the ceiling, the wall cavities and the roof deck from inside. Equipment stays until the readings match a dry reference, not until the stain stops spreading.

How ice dams form on Brookline roofs

Heat escaping from the living space warms the roof deck and melts snow on the upper roof. The meltwater runs down to the overhang, which stays as cold as the outside air, and freezes into a ridge of ice. Water pooling behind that ridge backs up under the shingles, past the roof deck and into the house.

Older Brookline houses with long roof lines, dormers, valleys and thin attic insulation build ice dams more often, and the winter of 2014 to 2015, Boston's snowiest on record, left ice at the eaves across Greater Boston. The National Weather Service winter safety pages cover the cold-weather side of the problem.

Ice dam damage the drying team checks

• Top-floor plaster or drywall ceilings, often stained near exterior walls
• Exterior wall cavities below the eaves, where water runs down the sheathing
• Attic insulation that is wet, matted or compressed
• Window and door heads on the upper floors
• Hardwood floors where water dripped from above

Roof leaks without ice: flashing, chimneys and storm rain

Not every roof leak needs snow. Wind-driven rain in a Nor'easter finds worn flashing at chimneys, skylights and dormers, and old slate or asphalt roofs let water through at cracked or missing pieces. The drying is the same: find the wet materials, remove what cannot be saved and dry the rest to the standard.

Roof repair is separate work for a roofer. The restoration team diverts active water where it can be reached safely and dries everything inside the envelope.

Preventing the next ice dam leak

Air sealing and insulation at the attic floor keep heat out of the roof deck, which is what stops the melt and refreeze cycle. The Department of Energy's Energy Saver program explains insulation and air sealing for older homes. A roof rake that clears the lower few feet of snow after a storm also helps.