Reinsulated Attic But Still Getting Ice Dams

It can be a small hole of some kind.

Reinsulated attic but still getting ice dams.

An ice dam is a build up of ice on the eaves of roofs that results from melting snow under a snow pack. By stopping air leakage to mitigate ice dams you ll save energy and reduce both your heating and your air conditioning bills. Of fiberglass or cellulose fig. Posted november 18 2019 by lewis insulation filed under attic ventilation.

It is already suspicious to see no mouting screws on the sides. 3 heavy snow coverage of the roof. 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. What causes ice dams.

Here is a case where the hot air vent from the heating system is located in the ceiling. As you mentioned the lack of attic insulation is likely the main cause of your ice dams. This acts as a layer of insulation preventing heat loss therefore it makes it warmer in the. And with our unpredictable weather and temperatures we are at a high risk of getting ice dams.

This fall i had an insulation company come out and put insulation in my attic. Baffles like this allow you to quickly ensure the soffit eave ventilation area is unobstructed and an air pathway from the eave vent is continuous into the attic cavity. 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. 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.

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. If you live in an area that experiences significant snowfall and consistently cold temperatures your home is a candidate for forming ice dams. 1 warm air rising to the peak of the attic. I thought this would eliminate my ice dam problem.

And when you do add insulation be sure you don t place it in too close to the eave. Here in minnesota we get quite the snow filled winter. 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. Newer houses that are well insulated or well insulated older ones only get ice when the outdoor temperature is close to freezing say 28 32 degrees.

This way you can blow insulation into the roof or lay batt insulation without having to worry about the insulation getting into the soffit and blocking the soffit eave vent. We just had a blizzard with 3 of snow could this be a factor in my having an ice dam right now. Building codes require about 12 to 14 in.