Ice dams are common here in New England and as pretty as they can be to look at, they can wreak havoc on buildings and costs the owners a lot of money in repairs. There are several quick fixes for ice dams, but only one cure. Here at Dolphin Insulation we don’t do temporary quick fixes (or as we call them band aids) we do surgery and correct the issues, so they no longer occur.
Ice dams are formed when heat from inside of a building rises into the attic and warms the roof decking during the winter. The result of the roof decking warming up is snow melting off the roof and water backing up under the shingles or behind fascia boards where it can soak through the roof decking or wall sheathing, causing damage to attics, ceilings and walls. By insulating correctly and stopping the warm air from going up into your attic and warming the underneath of the roof, this will permanently stop ice dams and dramatically reduce your energy costs while keeping you comfortable in the living space.
Some buildings have a furnace in the attic that warms up the roof much quicker than other buildings. These buildings tend to have extensive ice dams because the HVAC is constantly running in the attic, warming the roof and melting the snow. For buildings with furnaces in the attic we insulate the roof rafters rather than the attic floor, keeping the HVAC in the “conditioned space.” This keeps the heat from the HVAC running inside the attic and does not allow the roof to heat up. We see amazing results with this technique and building owners are shocked at how well it works to prevent ice dams, cut energy costs in half, and provide uniform comfort throughout the house. It is our favorite application to do because it results in the most benefits for the building.
