Ice Dam Roof Insulation

There should not be any air leakage from the house into the attic space.

Ice dam roof insulation.

Ice dams and icicles form when the snow melts runs down your roof and refreezes near the edge. Ice dams develop as snow on the upper part of the roof melts. Since heat transfer through the roof is the main cause of ice dams insulating the attic with foam insulation can help prevent ice dams by reducing the amount of heat transferred through the roof. Another highly undesirable consequence is wet attic insulation which will likely loose its r value and cause serious mold issues.

The tutorial how to prevent and remove ice dams describes what ice dams are and how you can try to prevent them from forming and damaging your home. Ice dam prevention is best achieved in three ways. From torn off gutters and falling shingles to peeling paint ruined flooring and stained ceilings if the water gets into the house. Ice dams can form when as little as 1 or 2 inches of snow accumulates on a roof if the roof is poorly insulated and air sealed and the snowfall is followed by several days of sub freezing temperatures.

Ice dams may result in leaks through the roofing material possibly resulting in damaged ceilings walls roof structure and insulation damage or injury when the ice dam falls off or from attempts to remove ice dams. This scenario is often the result of a warm attic. Air temperatures well below freezing. Ice dams usually start or worsen after a heavy snow because of snow s insulating properties.

In fact while it is normal for warmer air to circulate in the attic it should be exhausted through vents located near the ridge. While some warm spots on the roof occur because of sunlight most are caused by heat escaping from the heated portions of the house. The snow layer traps warm beneath the snow which causes it to melt. New construction should have a continuous 100 effective air barrier through the ceiling.

New construction practices should follow or exceed the state code requirements for ceiling and roof insulation levels to prevent ice dams. If the ice dam breaks free it can pull shingles and gutters off with it and it will damage anything it falls on. Shrubs windowsills cars pets and people. In the tutorial it also describes some of the preventative things you can do before winter including.

This only occurs when part of your roof warms to above 32 degrees f warm enough to melt the snow while the roof edge remains below freezing. Problems with an ice dam roof can vary greatly. The best way to prevent ice dams is to ensure that the air in the attic or against the bottom of the roof deck doesn t get too warm.