Protecting Your Commercial Property from Ice Dams in Winter Months

From roof destruction to wall, ceiling, insulation and structural framing damage, ice dams pose a threat to homes and commercial properties alike in the Northeast. In fact, ice dams – ice ridges that form at a roof’s edge or around drains, preventing melting snow from properly draining from the roof – are a leading cause of water damage in the winter months.

Before we get further into what is predicted to be a long winter, business owners should double check their policies to ensure that their properties are covered in the instance of unforeseen damage caused by ice dams, as well as take some precautionary steps to mitigate risk and avoid water damage. To avoid property damage as a result of ice dams and prevent having to file an insurance claim, we recommend regular snow removal from a licensed and insured professional snow removal service.

Taking the steps to ensure your building has proper ventilation, drainage and insulation is essential. In addition to keeping snow from accumulating on the lower three to six feet of your roof, have your roof inspected, check to make sure that gutters are clear of debris and look for signs of inadequate ventilation, including rust spots, rusty nails or a mildew smell. Remember, even if your company’s building has a sloped roof, ice dams can still be problematic as the melting process is regularly interrupted when back-to-back winter storms cause interference in the daily heating and cooling cycles.

Rose & Kiernan can assist with an overview of your specific policy at each of your business locations to understand how your company would be covered for this type of loss. Through unmatched client collaboration, and with market access to more than 200 regional, national and specialty global insurers, we custom-craft innovative, cost-effective risk management and risk financing solutions tailored to your enterprise.

To learn more about specific types of property and casualty insurance, please click here or contact us at 800-242-2433.

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