# can ice and water shield be applied to a damp roof?



## ANDYS87

I just had my roof replaced. Its been a drought here in Western NY for the last 6 weeks. Sure enough, a few hours after the roofers tore off a section, it started lightly raining. They put the ice and water shield down(stapled it) then the shingles. Came back on day 2....did the same thing and rained again. I was really pissed that they worked in the rain. The guy was full of it. Said he checked the weather and it wasnt supposed to rain til the night...blah, blah. I'm just worried now that the ice and water shield wont stick right. I've seen no leaks yet. Just want some peace of mind. Thanks

It is in the mid 80's, so hopefully everything dried out underneath. I checked the attic and crawl space today and it looks dry.


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## Pie in the Sky

Will it ever be an issue? Probably not. Would I accept it? NO... Read the installation instructions. Im sure it states not to install in a wet surface. If they are stapling it, its probably a good indication its not sticking properly. Im just a consultant. I think Ice and waters way over stated. It doesnt self seal like it promises. Does your house get Ice daming?


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## ANDYS87

We moved in less than a year ago. This past winter was so mild, I dont know about previous years. We are in a high snow area anyways. The house is also set back in the woods so it doesnt get full sunlight. I'm really wishing I hired a different company, but its done now. The guy had a BS answer for all of my concerns. We are just glad they are done and gone. It looks nice, but I dont know much about roofing. We got his name from the previous owner. Like I said earlier, I wish we went with someone else!!!!


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## ANDYS87

they were stapling it before it started raining, so it must be just how they do it.....who knows?????????


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## Pie in the Sky

If it got rained On top its Fine. Either way I doubt it will affect its performance. Like I said if you have Ice dams one of these winters, it probably would have leaked anyway. Good Luck!


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## ANDYS87

They got about half of the ice & water shield up on a big section before the rain.....it started raining and they kept going. So, about half was put on damp/wet plywood. Am I being paranoid, or is this no big deal???

I was getting nervous and asking tons of questions. He said that it wasnt supposed to rain...that it is fine...done it before...no leaks or complaints...it will dry underneath when the sun/hot weather hit it, etc.....

I dont know what to think. I lost a lot of sleep over this job!


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## dougger222

We staple most our ice and water shield even on 4/12's. If you walk on unfastened ice and water when the sun is on it when hot it will smear.

More than likely even if put over a damp deck it will dry out and adhear just fine.

We roof in the middle of Winter in MN doing new construction.


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## Gadwall

If there was no underlayment when it started raining, then they did the right thing by continuing to go. Otherwise, you would have major water coming through the decking.


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## ANDYS87

Thanks for the replies. We've had a few more days of rain since they finished. Everything looks dry. I will be up in the attic to check more this fall, when we get a lot of rain. By the way, I live in Western New York.


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## Pie in the Sky

Andy, Let us know how it goes this winter if you have any Ice damming and if it leaks...

D


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## Grumpy

Pie in the Sky said:


> Will it ever be an issue? Probably not. Would I accept it? NO... Read the installation instructions. Im sure it states not to install in a wet surface. If they are stapling it, its probably a good indication its not sticking properly. Im just a consultant. I think Ice and waters way over stated. It doesnt self seal like it promises. Does your house get Ice daming?


GRACE will seal like promised and then some! Not sure about the wet surface issue though. Having said that we typically use the certainteed brand which sticks and seals around nails better than most commodity ice shields, but not as good as grace.

As for ice shield, yeah maybe slightly over rated, but very cheap insurance and it does offer an increased level of protection. We won't install a sloped roof without ice shield at the gutter lines, valleys and pre-flashings at any area to later receive metal including chimneys, pipes, vents, and where the roof meets the walls. We do this not just because of ice but also because of water and wind driven rain. Two layers of protection at these critical areas is better than one layer of protection.


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## Pie in the Sky

My company did some testing last year on Self adhered membranes. What they found was that all the nails leaked when subjected to a hydrostatic head. It would not leak with a normal rain or water test. An artificial Ice Dam was installed and used for the test. It was a major brand. 
also, the stuff I look at is way up in the mountains. We’re talking about 100s of gallons on water behind some of these massive ice dams... that’s a lot of pressure. 
I do agree it’s cheap insurance but when in snow country with serious ice damming, these needs to be other precautions taken in addition to SAM.


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## Grumpy

Sure ice shield is a band aid, of that I think we can all agree. It doesn't stop ice damning from forming, it just helps eliminate or reduce it from getting into the structure once formed. 

Proper ventilation and proper insulation will severely reduce the size of the ice damn from forming. Proper sized and free flowing drainage is also a major means of stopping ice damns from forming or reducing the dams to a non-threatening size. 

All of these things added up should keep the water out, but for me it's not just ice I am worried about, like I said we use it as a pre flashing, or a secondary flashing. So far when the roof has been done my way, it hasn't leaked. The only time I have had roof leaks from the areas pre-flashed is when the installers took a short cut. I have much better levels of quality control now, then I previously did! (for those reasons).


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## Roofsafe

Like Grumpy said, proper ventilation and insulation reduces the threat of ice dams, I have seen properly vented roofs with snow begin to have melting of the snow from the face up with no rafters showing in the field and the only melting at the ridge was around the ridge vent. That is similar to what you see in the mountains, the snow melts from the lower areas up. The ridges in the mountains show up because of the strong winds that whip over them.


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## FriscoBlue

*Staples?*

personally, I would never use staples on ice and water shield!
Plastic cap nails for me!

I believe grace will not warranty their ice and water if stapled??
There is more than one way to skin a cat!:thumbup:

Oh, Also i would let deck dry prior to installation!!


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## dahern

Personally, if it was my home I'm not sure if I'd apply the ice and water shield to a damn roof. It will probably lead to some type of algae, moss, or mildew growth. If you're really in a bind it will probably not be a big deal, but definitely monitor it over the next few months. Best of luck!

I'm a contractor offering roofing in Maine and New Hampshire. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns.


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## larson1951

ice and water is supposed to seal around nail penetrations.....and it will still do that just fine... i don't think you should feel worried....understand that when it rains the SHINGLES keep the water out and NOT the ice and water.....the ice and water doesn't even get wet under a rain...if you get a severe ice dam and a bit of moisture gets under a shingle it is the TOP side of the ice and water that gives you the extra protection..NOT the underside 
i agree with pie in the sky that ice and water is way overstated
i once lost a job because the other bidder told the HO that he will put a full strip of ice and water over the ridge.......the roof was a 12/12 pitch....all that meant to me was that the other roofer was inexperienced or maybe thought that it was a good way to get the job...i thought that was needless....... it is kinda funny that 40 yrs ago there was no such thing as ice and water... i would be more concerned that the nailing was done properly and the flashings were installed correctly and stop worrying


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## carlwatson

Well you should have waited till the rain was over, anyways if you are sure that their are no leaks yet then its a good news. Anyhow, have you thought of installing gutter guard on roof, as it helps in getting rid of unwanted water caused due to rains.


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## General Roofing

*Roof Shingle Installation*

I agree, should have been done with-out moisture but likely won't be an issue. Would also like to know how it performs over time.

Our roof shingle installation manual for our roofing installers (we're a little obsessive about detail I suppose):

Roof Shingle Replacement


Our roofing website.

Our roofing blog.






Pie in the Sky said:


> Will it ever be an issue? Probably not. Would I accept it? NO... Read the installation instructions. Im sure it states not to install in a wet surface. If they are stapling it, its probably a good indication its not sticking properly. Im just a consultant. I think Ice and waters way over stated. It doesnt self seal like it promises. Does your house get Ice daming?


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## Olympic

I'd agree with General Roofing. We try our best to keep moisture out, but I dont think it will be an issue here. If you notice water intrusion it may be difficult to find now that you have completed the project. As a Massachusetts roofer we often have to wait several days to get a roofing project done due to inclement wet weather.


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## General Roofing

*Roofing Shingles, Moisture*

What kind of shingles are you guys putting on there in Mass?



Olympic said:


> I'd agree with General Roofing. We try our best to keep moisture out, but I dont think it will be an issue here. If you notice water intrusion it may be difficult to find now that you have completed the project. As a Massachusetts roofer we often have to wait several days to get a roofing project done due to inclement wet weather.


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## Dallas-Roofing

To use staples is not the proper way to install the ice and water barrier on a roof. It is a peal and stick. Every situation is different. If you do not see any leaks or dampness on your decking when looking at it from inside your attic, then you will be fine. It should be installed on a dry day but put yourself in the roofer's shoes. If you have the roof torn off and all of a sudden it starts to rain, you will do anything you have to do to prevent water from getting inside. Not sure if it will cause problems in the future but it doesn't sound like it. 

Devin Mahdi
Dallas Texas Roofing Companies


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## Maxon100

It will dry under the Ice & Water shield then it will stick down just fine. Nothing to worry about at all but it does suck that they tore the roof off when it was starting to rain.

http://stormproofroofing.org/


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