Ice Dam Help

[Finaddict]

Ross - What a relief this post is ... or maybe just adding company to my misery ... I just moved into a new townhouse in NBPT ... on MLK day, walked up stairs to a leaking roof ... I was amazed at the amount of water ...

... now I am only renting, and the owner lives in the townhouse next door ... an old house split into two units ...

... when I brought it up to her, she said it happens every 5-7 years and has been happening for the past 20-25 years ... but she cannot afford to get the roof repaired ... I asked her is it worth buying all the other crap she has been spending money on for the past 20 years to not fix the roof? She also told me she only needed to spend $6,000 ... but I will tell you, the leaking happened all week long this week ... if I could capture that water, there probably is enough to alleviate the droughts in Etheopia there is so much coming through ... every 5-7 years ... right, every snowfall seems more like it ...

... she has been hiring guys to come and shovel the snow off the roof, getting overwhelmed by spending $300 a pop ... her boy friend went up there today apparently and shoveled it off ... I guess I should do it myself ... it is a bit hairy up there thought ... but I must say i am a bit peeved to be living in a home that has a leaky roof ... I know it's much more common ...

I will check out this remedy ... I am sick of the leaking water ... I was planning on staying here a few years at least ... but with this roof, not sure I want to ... the ceiling must be totally destroyed ...

My challenge is I have absolutely no knowledge of this kind of stuff, so would prefer the owner to fix it when it's broken ... i will try to follow the suggestions above and inspect the roof for the dams ... thanks

[ecduzitgood]

^^^ I don't think I would go up there, you could get hurt, and I would be careful what you do or she may try and blame you for something and force you to finance repairs. Hopefully someone with better knowledge than myself will chime in.

[nightfighter]

Andy, make sure she makes an insurance claim. You should be covered under your own policy, but use this to force the issue of getting the roof repaired. Re read your lease. It's not like this is the only ice dam claim the adjustors are seeing..... In insurance, misery does like company in terms of settlements. Just don't accept the first one.

Anyone with damage should be documenting everything from cost of buckets to calcium chloride. Photos too. In your case, Andy, you could make a case for witholding it from the rent....