Roof leaks, ice dam water and ceiling damage after heavy lake-effect snow, with drying of the framing in Buffalo and Erie County.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Lake-effect snow roof and ice dam damage is water that enters a building through a roof, eave or ceiling after heavy snow and melt. Buffalo Water Damage Restoration serves Buffalo around the clock, opens and dries the ceiling, and treats the framing as part of the job.
Buffalo is known for lake-effect snow, and the National Weather Service Buffalo office records storms that changed the local picture. In November 2022 the city recorded 16.1 inches of snow in a single day, breaking the 7.6-inch single-day record set in 2014. In December 1979 the Buffalo Airport logged 20.1 inches over about 24 hours, the second-greatest 24-hour snowfall on record. A snow load of that size puts weight on roofs, and the melt that follows can push water under shingles and into the attic.
Roof and ceiling water from snow tends to show up after the weather changes, not during the storm. The snow may sit for days, then a thaw sends meltwater down to the eaves, where it refreezes into a dam and forces water back up under the shingles. The water then runs along the rafters, into the attic insulation and out through a ceiling light or a wall at a point far from the leak.
A ceiling stain after a heavy storm is a reason to call. Dial (833) 490-5225 and describe the stain, the room below it and whether the water is still dripping. A crew is sent as soon as one is free. The first visit looks at the ceiling, the attic and the roof edge where the water probably entered, because the leak and the stain are often several feet apart.
Do not climb onto a snow-covered or icy roof to clear snow or ice, and do not stand under a ceiling that is sagging or bulging. Keep ladders on firm ground and away from the eave. Ice falling from the roof edge can injure people below, so clear the path to the house. If a ceiling light fixture or outlet is wet, switch off the power at the breaker before touching it.
The crew checks the ceiling below the stain, the attic above it and the roof edge where the ice or meltwater probably entered. The leak point is often higher on the roof than the stain, because the water travels along the framing before it drips.
Where water is still dripping, the crew places containment and protects the floor and furnishings. Temporary measures can slow the water, but they do not fix the roof, and the crew says so plainly.
Wet plaster and drywall that will not dry in place are cut open, so the cavity and the framing can be reached. The openings are kept as small as the drying allows and are labeled for later repair.
Wet insulation is removed where it cannot be dried, and the rafters, joists and sheathing are dried with air movers and dehumidifiers. Moisture readings in the framing show when the wood has reached its dry level.
Photographs, readings and a written note describe the leak point, the damage and the materials removed. A roofer repairs the roof and the flashing, which is outside the scope of drying, and the note is given to the owner to pass on.
Heavy snow adds weight and holds moisture against the roof, and a thaw sends meltwater down to the eaves where it can refreeze. The water can then back up under the shingles and into the attic, and leak through the ceiling below.
A roof carries snow, and a deep snowpack holds meltwater against the shingles. When the temperature rises above freezing during the day and falls at night, the melt runs down the roof and freezes at the eave, where the roof is coldest. That frozen ridge of ice is the dam, and the water behind it has to find another way out.
The water often goes under the shingles and along the rafters, then drips through the ceiling at a point far from where it entered. The heavy snowfalls in the National Weather Service record, including the November 2022 storm, are a reminder of how much snow a roof can be asked to carry.
An ice dam leak shows water stains and wet insulation near the eaves after a thaw. Condensation shows frost or dampness on the underside of the sheathing and a general musty feel. The crew checks both before deciding the cause.
An ice dam leak tends to show a stain on the ceiling or wall near the outside edge of the house, often after a warm spell. The attic insulation there is wet or compressed, and the water line on the rafters runs down toward the eave. Condensation is more even across the attic, and it shows frost on the sheathing in cold weather.
Both problems can be present in one house, and each needs a different repair. The crew separates them by looking at the attic and the ceiling together, and it notes the attic ventilation it can see. The roofer or the qualified tradesperson who repairs the cause receives that note.
Wet rafters, joists and sheathing are dried with air movers and dehumidifiers, and their readings are checked until they reach a dry level. The crew does not seal the wood until it is dry, because moisture trapped inside causes rot and mold.
Wood framing is more forgiving than plaster, but it holds water in the cross-grain and in the joints. The crew measures the moisture in each member near the leak and along the path the water traveled, and it dries the wood until the readings show a steady dry level. Plaster and drywall below the wood are opened where they cannot dry in place.
The attic is often cold in winter, which slows drying. The crew sets the equipment for the space and checks the readings at each visit. When the wood has dried, the note records the readings and the materials that were removed, so the roofer and the owner know what remains to be repaired.
Look at the ceilings and walls on the top floor, the attic if it is safe to enter, and the gutters and eaves for ice. Do not climb the roof to clear snow, and call a crew if any ceiling is stained, sagging or wet.
After the snow has melted, check the top-floor ceilings for stains, bubbling and new cracks, especially along the outside walls and in corners. Look at the gutters and downspouts for ice and for water that is not draining. Note the date and the weather when a stain first appears, because that history helps the crew find the source.
Clearing snow from the roof is dangerous, and falling off a ladder or a roof edge causes more harm than most leaks. Use a roof rake from the ground if snow is piling at the eave, and keep the path to the house clear of ice. Call (833) 490-5225 for any stain or sag, and the crew can plan a visit.
The number of rooms and ceilings reached, the amount of insulation and framing that is wet, whether a ceiling has to be opened, and the repair to the roof all change the scope. The price is explained and approved on site before any work starts.
A stain in one corner of a single room is a smaller job than water that has run along the rafters into several rooms. The number of wet materials, the depth of the insulation and the access to the attic all affect the time on site, and so do the finishes that have to be opened and later restored.
The roof repair itself is a separate job that a roofer carries out. The drying crew explains what is left to repair and what has been dried, so the owner can plan both, and the price for the drying is explained and approved on site before any equipment is set up.
An ice dam forms when melting snow runs down the roof and refreezes at the cold eave. The water then backs up under the shingles. Damage appears along the top-floor walls and ceilings nearest the edge, and the crew checks the insulation along the eave first.
Valleys and flashings where two roof planes meet collect snow and melt. A leak here can appear at a single point on the ceiling, and the water may have traveled along a rafter. The crew checks the attic at the valley before it opens the ceiling.
After a heavy snow the roof structure can be stressed, and ceilings can sag or crack. Where a ceiling shows a dip or a new crack, the crew notes it and recommends a structural check by a qualified professional before the ceiling is worked on.
Snow is a regular part of the Buffalo winter, and the National Weather Service Buffalo history records storms large enough to change how the city deals with its roofs. The November 2022 storm dropped 16.1 inches in one day, breaking the 2014 record of 7.6 inches.
Snow load depends on the storm and on the roof it lands on, not only on the total in the city's records. The crew checks the roof and the attic it can see, rather than assuming the snow on the ground matches the load on this house.
Attic ventilation is one of the things the crew records on each visit, because it can bear on whether ice dams form. A change there is one of the steps a roofer may weigh when a repeat leak is a concern.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
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Heavy lake-effect snow adds weight to a roof and holds meltwater against it.
Pipes freeze where the cold reaches them first: cellars with little heat, garages, crawl spaces and walls that face outside.
The depth of snow is not the only factor, because the melt and the refreeze at the eave matter more. The National Weather Service Buffalo office recorded 16.1 inches in one day in November 2022, but leaks depend on the roof, the attic and the thaw that follows.
A roof rake used from the ground can clear snow from the lower part of the roof, but climbing onto an icy roof is dangerous. Keep the path to the house clear and call for help if snow is piling at the eave.
The crew dries and protects the damage from an ice dam, but the cause is the roof and the attic. Preventing a dam is a roofing and ventilation job, and the crew notes what it sees to help the roofer.
A stain can spread if water keeps arriving, and a ceiling that is wet can sag. Call for a visit as soon as the stain appears or grows, so the water can be stopped and the ceiling checked.
No. Drying removes water and dries the materials it reached. The roof, flashing and shingles are repaired by a roofer, and the drying crew gives the owner a note of what remains.
That depends on the policy and on what caused the water, and the insurer decides. Keep photographs and the crew's records, and ask the insurer which of them it needs. The New York State Department of Financial Services regulates insurers for general questions.
If a ceiling is sagging, bulging, cracked along a seam or dripping in several spots, keep out of the room and call for a visit. A sagging ceiling can fall without warning, and the crew can check it safely.