Hi,
With winter coming upon us again we need to do something about ice dams. We had no problem with ice dams for the first dozen or so years in this house but they have become an almost annual problem.
We have no gutters. The house is about 25 years old. Located in eastern Massachusetts.
Why might they have started after so many years?
What is the best, preferably passive, cure for them?
Thanks, Gary
"Gary Brown" wrote in news:rurTe.16256$ snipped-for-privacy@fe07.lga:
Mine does it too. I think the winters are getting weird. I started getting ice dams about 6 years ago (after living here for 20 years).
I have a one story house. I use a roof rake. I have 2 roof valleys on the north side. That's where I get the ice dams. But on the south side the sun will melt the snow just enough to make ice. So I roof rake that, too. Before it can turn to ice.
I use the snow blower to make trails around the house so I don't have to stomp thru deep snow.
We get about 120 inches of snow per winter. We go for stretches where it snows everyday and will be about 20° F.
I have to keep up with the roof raking. I can't allow any of it to turn to ice or else there are problems with build up. This method does take some time, so it won't be for everyone. Rob
Exactly. Keep the roof deck at a uniform temp from eave to ridge and you minimize the thaw/freeze cycle that causes the dams.
The usual answer: A cold roof is a happy roof.
Get the gutters clean, Insulate the hell out of the attic, and make sure you have plenty of attic ventilation (soffit vents, gable vents, or ridge vents).
If that's not possible for some reason, there are heaters for the last feww inches of roof that some folks around here install, but getting the roof cold is a better first step.
-- Todd H.
proper insulation, proper ventilation, ice n water shield.
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