Preventing Ice Dams

Winter weather brings with it a variety of different issues that homeowners need to be aware of. One of these is the problem of ice dams. An ice dam is basically a ridge of ice that builds up along the edge of your roof. The dam then backs up water that naturally runs down your roof and forces it up and under your roof shingles, damaging them. If the dam becomes large enough, and the water is deep enough, it can penetrate the entire roofing system and create additional water damage inside your home.

An ice dam can be identified as a bulge of ice attached to the eaves or overhang of your roof. You may notice icicles hanging from the roof edge or stains on your siding. Your rain gutters may also be overflowing with ice if you have a dam. Often, you may not be able to see the bulge, because it is covered with several inches of snow. This snow can even act as an insulator, further exacerbating the problem.

There are several steps you can take to prevent ice dams. In principle, all you have to do is keep the entire roof the same temperature as the eaves. This can be done by increasing ventilation to the roof, adding insulation, and sealing off any air leaks that may be warming the underside of the roof.

• Add insulation – By adding insulation to your attic, your home’s heat will remain in the lower floors or main portion of the home and not be lost through the roof. You can tell if your home is properly insulated by looking at the roof after a snowstorm. If your neighbor’s house has snow on it, but the snow on your roof has melted, you don’t have enough insulation and are losing heat through your roof.
• Ventilate the eaves and roof ridge – Adding ridge vents and soffit vents will circulate cold air evenly under your entire roof. Both vents should have the same size openings and provide at least one square foot of opening for every 300 square feet of attic floor. Placing baffles on the eaves will maintain a clear path for the airflow from the soffit vents.
• Cap your hatches and install sealed can lights – Seal off your attic hatch or whole-house fan opening. These holes allow heat to escape. Cover them with caps and weather stripping constructed from foil-faced foam board and aluminum tape. Old fashioned recessed lighting fixtures give off a lot of heat and cannot be insulated because they would pose a fire hazard. Replace them with sealed “IC” fixtures.
• Check your exhaust ducts and chimney flashing – The exhaust ducts connected to the kitchen and bathroom, as well as the dryer vent should all lead to the exterior of the home via the roof or walls, never through the soffit. Spread fiber-reinforced mastic on the joints of your HVAC ducts or exhaust ducts and cover them entirely with R-5 or R-6 foil-faced fiberglass. Seal the gap between the chimney and the house framing with flashing, holding it in place with beads of fire-stop sealant.
• Do some caulking – Seal the holes or gaps around any electrical cables, phone wires, cable TV wiring, or vent pipes protruding from your home with fire-stop sealant. Also seal up any other holes or cracks you find.

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