What is an ice dam? Here's what they are and how to remove them.
Many homeowners across the Pittsburgh area are dealing with ice dams, which form on roofs due to the warming and freezing cycles of snow. When the snow melts, the water freezes, leading to an ice dam.
"It's led to some unfortunate flooding and water damage inside our house," homeowner Ned Schano said.
Schano has been placing buckets and blankets throughout his home to catch the water seeping in. He's lived in his Pittsburgh home for almost 20 years. His home was built in 1910 in the historic Roslyn Place in Shadyside.
"It's a really old house. Amazingly, we haven't had any water issues. I just think the enormity of the storm over the last week brought all the water inside," Schano said.
After damage to his windows and ceiling, he called Resnick Roofing and Contracting. Over the past two weeks, the company said it's received more than 400 calls about ice dams.
"What happens is this water, as it goes down the roof path, it then starts to refreeze. And where it freezes is inside the gutter, and the ice continues to come down, and it creates this dam. It refreezes over top of itself," Adam Resnick, the company's founder, said on Monday.
The water then builds up, finds its way under the shingles and any cracks, back into the attic and then through the ceiling. Resnick said it's inevitable for all homeowners, even if you have a new roof.
"What we want to do is get the snow off the roof," Resnick said. "And then what we need to do is create a channel in this ice dam where this water can actually flow out."
Those are some of the things crews did at Schano's home, and the leaking stopped.
"It'll be interesting to see once the weather does warm up and the sun comes out and we get a little bit of a thaw, how much more water damage there might be for everyone's houses," Schano said.
Experts also caution homeowners to be mindful of what they do to get rid of the dam, as they could unintentionally cause permanent damage to their home. They recommend always calling a professional.