Ice along the eaves and winter stains in Wallington
Ice Dam Damage Repair in Wallington, NJ
Has a ridge of ice built up along the roof edge, with a stain showing inside? Ice dam damage in Wallington means finding what the ice did to shingles, gutters and the ceiling, and what let it form.
Call (973) 791-8220, name the side of the house, and ask about a time for the look.
Signs you may have spotted
- A ridge of ice built up along the eave
- Icicles hanging in a row from the gutter
- A ceiling stain along an outside wall in the middle of winter
- Drips at a window or door frame during a thaw
- A gutter bent or pulled off the house after a hard freeze
Jot these down first
Winter notes for the phone call
- Which side of the house the ice sits on, and how far along the eave.
- Where the ceiling stain is, and the date it showed.
- Whether the stain grows during a thaw.
- What the attic hatch looks like from below: frost, damp insulation, nothing.
- Photos of the icicles and the gutter, taken from the ground.
Walk away and get help if
- A wire has come down, maybe dragged by ice or a limb. Keep clear. PSE&G (1-800-436-7734) and 911 both take that report.
- A winter leak has the ceiling bulging. Stay out of the room below, and dial 911.
- Water is working its way into a fixture or outlet on an outside wall. Leave the room and dial 911.
- Skip the roof and the ice pick; climbing an icy roof or chipping at ice is how people get hurt. If someone falls, call 911.
Four things people ask
Does heat tape get rid of ice dams?
UMass's building guide says heat tape is not worth the money. Insulation, air sealing and ventilation are the lasting answers it lists, and chipping at the ice with hammers or picks can damage the roof further.
What makes an ice dam form in the first place?
UMass explains that melted snow refreezes at the roof's edge. The melting comes from heat escaping into the attic, which is why the guide points to insulation, air sealing and ventilation.
Is an ice barrier under the shingles a state rule here?
The state's Bulletin 07-3 requires one only in places with a January average of 25 degrees or lower, and it names Sussex County. A roofer can say whether one makes sense for your slope anyway.
Do ice dams show up in the other three towns?
Any bordering town sees the same winters. Notes for Garfield homes, Passaic homes and Wood-Ridge homes are linked. Call (973) 791-8220 with the address to get the conversation going.
What usually sets it off
- Heat leaking into the attic melts snow on the roof above it
- Meltwater runs to the cold eave and refreezes into a dam
- Thin attic insulation or air leaks let that heat escape
- Poor ventilation keeps the roof deck warm
- Ice-filled gutters that bend and pull the fascia with them
The one-to-ten gut check
A winter leak, scored one to ten
8–10
a ceiling bulges, a wire is down or water reaches a fixture. Leave the spot and call 911 or PSE&G.
4–7
ice keeps building and a stain grows with each thaw. Next step: dial (973) 791-8220 and ask if a roofer can view the eave.
1–3
icicles but a dry ceiling. Look from the ground, take photos, and ask a roofer about insulation when the weather turns.
Around Wallington
NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for Teterboro Airport count 23.6 January days with a low at or below freezing and 7.7 with a high at or below freezing. February has 21.1 and 3.7, and December 20.2 and 2.8. Those swings across the freezing line are what ice dams run on.
New Jersey's Bulletin 07-3, revised in June 2015, ties its ice-barrier underlayment rule to places that average 25 degrees or colder in January, and it singles out Sussex County. With a January average of 32.8 at Teterboro, Wallington sits outside that trigger.
What the calendar does to it
When the freezing line moves
The damage comes from days that swing across 32 degrees. At Teterboro Airport, NOAA's normals show 20.2 December days, 23.6 January days, 21.1 February days and 14.1 March days with a low at or below freezing. March, with its thaws, is a month when stains tend to appear.
Stay on the ground. The state of Massachusetts says not to get on the roof or chip at the ice from the ground.
Where the rules live
Ice damage and the state code
When ice has damaged the roof covering, repairing it counts under the state's ordinary-maintenance list for a house standing on its own with no more than two households: no permit application, notice or inspection. The code's standards still apply, and attached houses are not addressed. Offices are on the town-by-town list.
Roof jobs sorted by sight
Jot these down first
Before you call (973) 791-8220, note the street address, where water showed up and the roof's age if known. If you rent, talk to the owner first. Towns: Wallington, Garfield, Passaic, Wood-Ridge.