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Top-floor units and kneewalls

Ice Dam and Roof Leak Water Damage in Cambridge, MA

When snow melts on a warm roof and refreezes at the eaves, meltwater backs up under the shingles and into top-floor ceilings and walls. The restoration team dries the attic, the insulation line and the rooms below.

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24/7 dispatch Dried to IICRC S500 Daily moisture readings
Icicles and an ice dam along the eaves of a brick house
Right now

What to do the moment you find ice dam water coming inside

  1. 1

    Catch the drips

    Put buckets and towels under drips and move furniture and electronics away from the wet wall.

  2. 2

    Kill wet light circuits

    Switch off circuits for fixtures in a wet ceiling if the panel is dry.

  3. 3

    Stay off the roof

    Do not climb onto an icy roof. A roof rake from the ground or a roofer can clear the eaves safely.

  4. 4

    Photograph inside and out

    Photograph the icicles, the ice dam and every wet spot inside, then call.

How the work is held to standard

How ice dam and roof leak water damage is handled in Cambridge

Rapid local response

Cambridge water damage pros dispatch around the clock, because water keeps moving through plaster and floor cavities overnight.

IICRC S500 drying standard

The drying team works to IICRC S500: structural drying, not just surface drying, verified with meters.

Claim-ready documentation

A moisture map, daily readings and timestamped photos go into the file your insurer reviews.

Cambridge water experts

Triple-deckers, rowhouses, radiators and fieldstone basements are everyday work in this city.

Typical cost ranges

What does ice dam and roof leak water damage cost in Cambridge, MA?

In Cambridge, MA, ice dam and roof leak water damage cleanup typically runs $1,200 to $9,000. A small ceiling stain dried in place sits at the low end; wet kneewalls, attic insulation and ceilings across a whole top-floor unit sit at the high end. Roof repair is separate.

One wet ceiling spot

$1,200 to $2,500
  • Moisture mapping
  • Ceiling cavity drying
  • Daily readings

Kneewall and attic

$2,500 to $5,500
  • Wet insulation removed
  • Rafter and deck drying
  • Ceiling section out

Whole top floor

$5,500 to $9,000+
  • Several rooms dried
  • Walls and floors
  • Full documentation

The drivers are the water category, the square footage that got wet, the material class (drywall and carpet versus plaster, hardwood and fieldstone) and how fast drying started. For a planning number, try the Cambridge water damage cost calculator.

The dry-out, step by step

The ice dam and roof leak water damage process in Cambridge

The order of the work is what separates a finished dry-out from a cosmetic one.

  1. 1

    Map the moisture

    The tech who does the walkthrough traces the source and maps wet plaster, framing and floors with thermal imaging and pinless meters before any equipment goes down.

  2. 2

    Extract

    The extraction crew pulls standing water with truck-mounted or portable extraction, so the water leaves the building instead of running into the unit below.

  3. 3

    Set the drying

    The drying team sizes air movers to each room's evaporation load and runs LGR dehumidifiers, with desiccants for dense materials.

  4. 4

    Read it daily

    Moisture and psychrometric readings go into the drying log every day, and equipment moves to whatever is still wet.

  5. 5

    Verify and document

    Equipment comes out when the wet material sits within 2 to 4 points of a dry reference, and the logs go into the claim file.

How ice dams form on Cambridge roofs

An ice dam starts when heat from the living space warms the roof deck, snow melts, and the meltwater refreezes at the cold eave. The ridge of ice holds back more water, which works under the shingles and into the house. Cambridge has a lot of the conditions that cause it: Victorian and colonial houses with steep roofs over third-floor rooms with kneewalls, low-slope roofs on triple-deckers and additions, and older attics with little insulation or ventilation.

  • Water through the ceiling near the exterior wall of the top floor
  • Wet kneewalls and attic insulation
  • Water at the top of windows and down the inside of exterior walls
  • Ponding on low-slope roofs when roof drains freeze

Drying the attic and the top floor

Water from an ice dam usually soaks the insulation long before it shows on the ceiling. The tech who does the walkthrough checks the attic and kneewall spaces with thermal imaging and meters. Wet insulation is removed, because it will not dry in place and loses its value. The drying team dries the roof deck, rafters and ceiling framing, and treats the top-floor rooms like any ceiling leak.

Ice dams come back when the attic stays warm. After the dry-out, air sealing and insulation at the attic floor are the long-term fix.

Storm and roof leaks outside of winter

Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing, chimneys and dormers, and summer storms find worn shingles. The drying process is the same, and the roof repair is always separate. If the storm put water in the basement as well, storm flood cleanup covers that part. The National Weather Service winter safety page covers storm preparation, and the Department of Energy insulation page explains attic insulation levels.

  • Category. Meltwater is usually Category 1 to 2 by the time it passes through the roof and insulation.
  • Class. Wet insulation, plaster and framing in an attic space often make it Class 3.
  • Equipment. Thermal imaging, attic access, air movers, LGR and desiccant dehumidifiers.
  • Goal. Roof deck, rafters and ceiling framing within 2 to 4 points of a dry reference.
Questions

Ice Dam and Roof Leak Water Damage questions in Cambridge, MA

How do I know if I have an ice dam?

Thick ice along the eaves, large icicles and water stains near the top of exterior walls or around top-floor windows are the signs.

Does wet attic insulation need to be replaced?

Usually yes. Wet fiberglass and cellulose compress, hold water and lose most of their insulating value.

Is ice dam damage covered by insurance?

Interior water damage from an ice dam is often covered, while fixing the roof itself may not be. Coverage depends on your policy, so it is worth checking with your own insurer.

Should I chip the ice off the roof?

No. Chipping damages shingles and is dangerous. A roof rake from the ground or a roofer is the safer way to clear the eaves.

How long does drying take after an ice dam?

A small area usually dries in three to five days. Attic framing and plaster can take longer, especially in cold weather, and equipment stays until the readings reach the goal.

Why do ice dams keep coming back?

Heat escaping into the attic melts the snow. Air sealing and insulation at the attic floor, plus ventilation, keep the roof cold.

Related services

Related water damage services in Cambridge

Water pouring through a ceiling light opening into a room belowSee alsoCeiling Leak Water DamageLeaks from the unit above traced and dried on both floors.View the service Water bursting from a frost-covered pipe that split in the coldSee alsoFrozen Pipe CleanupLines that split in a cold snap, dried inside the wall cavity.View the service Resident bailing storm water beside sandbags at a brick rowhouse basement stairSee alsoStorm Flood CleanupRain and surface water through bulkheads and window wells, cleaned up.View the service
Service area

Ice dam and roof leak water damage across Cambridge and next door

Cambridge, MA, from the Charles River to Alewife Brook

The Cambridge restoration crew handles ice dam and roof leak water damage in every Cambridge ZIP code: 02138, 02139, 02140, 02141, 02142 and 02238, from East Cambridge to North Cambridge.

The same crews work Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, Allston and Brighton.

See every Cambridge neighborhood and ZIP

Emergency water removal

Ice dam water in a Cambridge home? Call now.

Attic, kneewall, ceiling and wall drying for top-floor units.

(888) 629-3140Get the ice dam water out today
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