Repairing Ice Dam Damage

By Robert Robillard on Home Maintenance

Repairing Ice Dam Damage

Scrape and Sand

Let the mud set until it hardens and then use the joint knife to scrape off any ridges or other roughness in the surface. Use the putty knife to scrape off ridges and high spots. Wipe the area with a clean, damp rag or sponge to remove the scraping and sanding dust before coating it again with mud.

Apply a second coat of mud, in a perpendicular direction to the first coat, buttering the surface as before. Concentrate on filling in the deepest parts of the damage and keeping a lighter coat around the edges.
Don’t let high points develop in the overall surface, try to keep it consistent with the surrounding level. Reverse direction with each new coat to help in keeping the repair level.

The last coat can be lightly sanded with 220.

Sealing the Stained Area

I was unsure on the proper advice for sealing in stains so I reached out to Mark O’Lalor from O’Lalor Painting. Mark advised me that he does not apply a primer/sealer, Zinsser® “Binz” or otherwise until his entire repair work is done.

Once the drywall compound is applied, Mark wipes the surfaces down and primes with regular primer and then coat the areas where the stains were with a Shellac Based sealer. Mark says, “priming is one of the most important things you can do, aside from being sure the surface is clean, to ensure a lasting job.”
Primers are special coatings designed to bond to bare surfaces creating a sound foundation for finish paint.

A sealer is a special primer is used for blocking problem stains like smoke, grease, rust, and water damage.

Prime, caulk seams and paint

Remove dirt and vacuum all the dust.  Washing surfaces to remove oils from the human hand, ambient dust in the interior and exterior environment, oil rich cooking vapor, candle wax vapor and of course dust from construction all contribute to create a barrier between the applied paint and the surface in question.
These substances all need to be washed off to ensure proper adhesion prior to priming and painting.

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About the author

Robert Robillard

Carpenter / Remodeler / Editor

Rob Robillard is “The Concord Carpenter” Rob is a builder, general contractor, carpenter, woodworker, and editor of Concord Carpenter and ToolBoxBuzz As a General Contractor and carpenter, Rob owns and operates Concord Carpenter LLC. A full-service remodeling and construction company. Rob is a recognized leader in home building best practices and a source for how-to information for building professionals. On this website, Rob covers all aspects of home construction, building science, home improvement, woodworking, remodeling, and some of the best product and tool reviews. Rob is in charge of our Tool and Product Review series - Concord Carpenter Videos where we post all of our tool reviews and video tutorials. Rob approaches remodeling and building construction with a pragmatic and problem-solving approach. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help and educate building professionals as well as DIYers on best practices in the construction and remodeling industry. He's a strong advocate for "raising the bar" in the construction trades and promoting the trades to youth. #BeAMentor #Green2Great Craftsmanship, quality, and pride guide his journey on this channel The Concord Carpenter's motto: "Well done is better than well said!" : Read more about Rob

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