Reinsulated Attic But Still Getting Ice Dams

As you mentioned the lack of attic insulation is likely the main cause of your ice dams.

Reinsulated attic but still getting ice dams.

3 heavy snow coverage of the roof. If you live in an area that experiences significant snowfall and consistently cold temperatures your home is a candidate for forming ice dams. When the snow melts they form ice dams. By stopping air leakage to mitigate ice dams you ll save energy and reduce both your heating and your air conditioning bills.

We just had a blizzard with 3 of snow could this be a factor in my having an ice dam right now. Here is a case where the hot air vent from the heating system is located in the ceiling. This acts as a layer of insulation preventing heat loss therefore it makes it warmer in the. Building codes require about 12 to 14 in.

Attic insulation and air sealing are your ice dam solutions any time you see icicles dangling from gutters it is a sign of a potentially costly problem in a home. It is already suspicious to see no mouting screws on the sides. Posted november 18 2019 by lewis insulation filed under attic ventilation. Measure your attic insulation level while you re in the attic check the depth of your attic insulation.

What causes ice dams. Ideally the attic is the primary cause of how to properly insulate an attic to prevent ice dams read more. This happens when the temperature of the roof is above 32 degrees f and the edge of the roof maintains below freezing temperatures. I don t know whether to call the insulation people and complain or not.

Ice dams occur most often when we get heavy snow followed by below freezing temperatures but they can occur with just an inch or two of snow. Heat leaking from the living space into the attic the most common cause of ice dams despite proper insulation is a heat leak from the living space. And with our unpredictable weather and temperatures we are at a high risk of getting ice dams. I thought this would eliminate my ice dam problem.

It can be a small hole of some kind. 2 cold air at the lower part of the roof warm air rises especially just above the eave where the temperature is about the same as outdoor air. Of fiberglass or cellulose fig. You must leave space for outside air to flow through the soffit vents up between the rafters and out the ridge or gable end vents.

Some part of your roof warms up enough to melt the snow. Those houses get ice even when it s in the low twenties because so much heat escapes into the attic they can get a 20 degree attic above freezing. And when you do add insulation be sure you don t place it in too close to the eave. 1 warm air rising to the peak of the attic.

Here in minnesota we get quite the snow filled winter. My roof is barely 3 years old. The melt water flows down to another part of the roof that is cooler and the water refreezes. An ice dam is a build up of ice on the eaves of roofs that results from melting snow under a snow pack.