We now have almost 300 people on the email list for Inverness Forest Today. So I have decided to make it easier to use the "Comment" link below. I'm bypassing the "anti-spam" squiggly letters to make it easier to leave a comment. Please use the Name/URL radio button (URL is optional) See the first two comments for example. Part of the value of a blog like this is that your comments make IFT better for everyone.
Here is Sharlene Shugarman's email on ice dams:
With the winter mega storm of 1996, we had to repair our living room ceiling due to ice dams on our roof. It actually started a few days after the storm ended when the snow in the gutters started to melt. I believe that by not having an opening at the bottom of the downspouts, at the ground level, cleared of snow and ice, the melted snow in the gutters backed up behind the roof shingles and the water then ran down the walls and settled onto our living room ceiling. It was a mess and I remember others in this area having the same problem.
So, I would suggest that those homeowners who do have roof gutters and downspouts clear a pathway for the melted snow.
Harvey
ifatreasurer@mac.com
4 comments:
We don't have a gutter on the back side of the house that has an ice dam. Heat dissipation from the house is the leading cause of ice dams. The gutters are important to clear as well, but ice dams are often related to heating the under surface of the roof. See the Energy Star web site on this topic... http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_solutions.hm_improvement_icedams.
Some causes may include:
1) the builder did not put attic/gable wall insulation (or enough insulation) to shield the roof from heating.
2) HVAC duct vents may not be insulated well and cause spots on the roof to have an ice dam.
In our case, I suspect it is a poorly insulated HVAC duct vent in the back bedroom which is at about the same location where the water is seeping into our kids closet. We'll probably tear down the closet dry wall, insulate the outside gable wall, cover the HVAC duct very well, replace the dry wall, and paint. For now, I have a few holes in the closet ceiling for the water to drain through into a bucket.
If you plan to pass this email along, please be sure to tell people not to climb their roof to clean it off... it's too dangerous.
A note--I do not have gutters at all and this year for the first time I have had leakage from roof dams. My understanding is that the best way to prevent this is to increase the attic insulation over the window areas where the dams seem to form--talk with some of the roofing guys to verify this.
I would not be surprised if leak problems start showing up a few days after the storm. There is a lot of ice up there, but the problem is we can't even reach there to open up the gutters. Also, with all this snow, it is not possible to clear the downspouts. The water keeps dripping from the roof and everyday, ice build up on the pavement and on the steps. It has been a big mess.....
How to Care for Ice-Damaged Trees:
Found this article on the Philadelphia Flower Show Facebook Blog.
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/icedamage/
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