Solving Persistent Ice Damming Through Building Enclosure Investigation

The Cleveland Army Reserve Center in Twinsburg, Ohio, had experienced severe icicle formation along roof edges and gutters during winter months since the facility’s original construction. The recurring ice damming contributed to significant interior water infiltration while creating ongoing maintenance concerns for the roof, gutters, and drainage systems.

Technical Assurance was retained to investigate the conditions contributing to the problem and evaluate how the building envelope and roof design and construction were affecting roof performance.

Tracing the Problem Beyond the Roof Surface

Technical Assurance’s investigation determined that improper roof ventilation was a primary contributor to the ice-damming conditions. The assessment also identified multiple design and installation issues affecting airflow, drainage, and overall roof performance.

Conditions included improperly sized or configured gutters and downspouts, heat-tracing cables that were not designed for a commercial building of this size and drainage demand, and an interior smoke wall that restricted airflow beneath the roof deck. Additional deficiencies included breaches and voids in the air/vapor retarder, batt insulation obstructing intake airflow, and improperly installed shingle fasteners.

From Investigation Through Remediation Verification

Following the assessment and analysis, Technical Assurance developed a remediation approach to address the conditions contributing to ice formation and water infiltration. The team then provided quality observation during remediation to verify that corrective work was completed in accordance with the construction documents.

After construction, Technical Assurance performed infrared scanning to verify that the corrected roof ventilation system was functioning as intended. This final performance check extended the assignment beyond identifying the source of the problem to confirming that the implemented solution addressed the underlying building enclosure conditions.