Ice Damming Prevention and Insurance

Most Canadian homeowners are all too familiar with the harsh winter weather. 

As soon as the snow starts to fall, homeowners in Canada begin to take care of a long list of tasks, like shovelling their driveways, salting their walkways and general winter home maintenance. With so many things to do, it’s easy to overlook or forget to take care of a few tasks. 

One of the things that homeowners often overlook is the risk of ice damming during the winter months. Ice damming is a relatively common issue throughout Canada, but it’s a larger issue in provinces that experience consistent, heavy snowfalls. 

Because of this, it’s important for homeowners to know how ice damming works, how to prevent it from occurring and if it’s covered by your home insurance. You should also take a moment to learn about ice damming and insurance.

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Want to learn more about ice damming? Be sure to continue reading!

What is ice damming on a roof?

In layman’s terms, ice dams are chunks of built-up ice that form on your rooftop. These large chunks of ice trap runoff (from melting snow) on your roof and make it nearly impossible for water to run through your eavestroughs properly. The trapped water eventually freezes and creates more ice. As more ice forms, it puts additional pressure on your roof; if enough ice forms, your roof could potentially collapse.

Ice dams can also lead to less minor roof damage (cracks, punctures, etc.), which allows runoff to seep into your home. This can result in ice dam damage like:

How are ice dams formed?

Ice damming generally occurs under the following circumstances:

• When too much heat rises into the upper level of your home
• Your attic has poor ventilation or insulation
• The heat from your home warms up the shingles and causes snow to melt
• The melted snow accumulates and gradually freezes into an ice dam

As the cycle continues, the ice dam will become more prominent and pose a greater risk to your family, home and personal belongings.

How to prevent ice damming on your roof — 6 pro tips and tricks

Without the proper care and removal, an ice dam can pose a significant risk to your home. Thankfully, they’re easy to prevent if you take the right steps to prepare your property.

Feel free to use the following tips if you’d like to reduce the risk of ice dam damage this winter:

• Make sure that your attic is adequately insulated and ventilated
• Purchase electric heating cables for your roof
• Remove excess amounts of snow from your roof after storms and heavy snowfalls (in some cases, you can do this yourself, but we suggest hiring a professional)
• Install an ice or water shield on your roof
• Schedule a roof inspection with a professional roofing company before the winter season
• Keep your eavestroughs clean and free of debris (leaves, twigs, stones, dirt, etc.)
• Ensure your eavestroughs are installed by a professional and are fitted properly.  Ill-fitting eavestroughs can further exaggerate ice-damming.

Unfortunately, you can never completely avoid the risk of ice dams; but the tips mentioned above can help you minimize the risk!

Does home insurance cover ice dam damage in Canada?

In most cases, yes.

If your home was damaged by ice damming your insurance can cover all or a portion of the repair or replacement costs (depending on your coverage limits) if you have show diligent effort in taking care of the snowload. 

But, if the property is in an area prone to high snowfall, and they don’t make an effort to remove snow and the insurance carrier can prove that, it may not be covered. Or, if the owner goes away for a period during the winter and doesn’t hire someone to remove snowload, it may not be covered.  

Also, this coverage is not an automatic coverage with some carriers. Customers would be wise to ask their advisor to confirm if their policy covers it if they live in an area prone to heavy snow.

Additionally, if you have optional forms of coverage, like content coverage, your insurance company can even help you cover the cost of replacing personal belongings that were damaged or destroyed due to an event caused by the ice dam.

Insurance and ice dam damage — When aren’t you covered?

Although your home insurance policy can cover repair or replacement costs pertaining to ice damming, it doesn’t automatically protect all of the structures on your property.

In most cases, home insurance policies will not cover the costs of ice dam damage related to the following structures: 

• Swimming pools
• Retaining walls and fences
• Patios
• Docks, piers, etc.

Additionally, homeowners should note that the condition and age of their roofs plays a role in determining whether they’ll be covered or not. If your roof was damaged prior to the ice dam, your insurance company could deny your claim. This is due to the fact that the damage partially stems from the homeowner neglecting to deal with the pre-existing damage prior to the ice dam.

When should you file an ice dam claim?

We suggest filing an ice dam insurance claim if an ice dam has caused extensive damage to your roof or other parts of your home. Although you can submit a claim for minor damages, it may end up costing you more in the long run. This is due to the fact that submitting too many claims can negatively impact your insurance rates.

So, if you need to replace your roof and are looking at tens of thousands of dollars worth of damages, it makes sense to file a home insurance claim. 

But, if the ice dam has only caused hundreds of dollars worth of damages, you should consider paying for the repairs or replacements out of pocket. Although it may cost a little bit more upfront, it will help you maintain your current home insurance rate for the foreseeable future.

Bonus tip — Always hire a professional to determine the extent of the damages. Water-damaged insulation or rafters could be hidden from the average homeowner’s view. This could grow into serious mold/mildew problems, which wouldn’t be later covered by the initial claim.

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Whether you’re shopping around for home insurance for your first home or would like to see what other options are out there, Surex is here to help.

Our team of top-notch insurance advisors is always ready to help you find and compare the most competitive quotes in Canada.

We can help you get quotes from some of the best insurance companies in Canada, including our friends at Intact. 

Call or click today to get started and learn how we can help you save up to 25% when you bundle multiple policies with one of our partners!