CT Ice Dam Removal: How to Save Your Roof
With winter storm season in full swing, it’s a good time to think about dealing with recurring and damaging ice dams. Ice damming is a common issue for multifamily building owners in colder climates, especially in regions that have older building stock. But ice dams are a preventable and solvable problem.
Untreated ice dams can ruin your roof by damaging shingles and gutters. In an area like Connecticut, which receives many inches of snowfall annually, all that snow often ends up at the edge of your roof as a mountain. In severe cases of damming; there can be leaks that lead to deterioration, mold, and expensive repairs.
However, we do have some good news for you: ice dams ct can be mitigated. Some even better news: solving your ice dam issue will lead to lower energy costs and a more comfortable building. Common ice dam fixes focus on getting rid of snow and ice by raking the lower portion of CT roofs, chipping away ice that has already formed, or by the installation of heated coils along the roof’s edge. Unfortunately, these types of fixes are only temporary, and don’t get to the root of the issue.
Primarily, Ice dams are caused by heat loss in ct homes. The lost heat melts snow, which then refreezes at the roof edge as an ice dam. The solution is to keep the roof deck cold in order to prevent this chronic melting.
What Causes Excessive Heat Loss?
- A lack of adequate thermal insulation which prevents conductive heat losses
- A lack of an adequate air barrier which prevents warm air from escaping the thermal envelope
- Heating systems in vented attic spaces
In a best case scenario, heating systems should not be located in an unconditioned attic space. The system will operate more efficiently and heat from the system will not contribute to ice dams if it is located in a conditioned space. This is true for the heating equipment as well as the ductwork, which is best maintained in a conditioned space. If you can’t remove the ductwork from the unconditioned attic, make sure that the ducts are properly sealed to prevent leaks and well insulated to prevent conductive heat losses to the attic.
How to Remove Ice Dams & Prevent Them From Occuring
- Do not attempt to clear ice from your gutters or the edge of the roof yourself! Ice, snow and wind make a dangerous task even more risky. Call Fiderio & Sons and let our professionals do the removal for you.
- To prevent ice dams in the future, make sure your roof is properly ventilated. This means more than just small vents at the ends of your attic. The best ventilation is provided by a full-length ridge vent along the peak of your roof. If you don’t have a ridge vent we can retrofit one on most roofs. Call us for a free estimate.
- Attic insulation should be kept away from the underside of the roof to allow a free flow of air beneath the eaves. You actually want to keep the roof deck cold to prevent snow and ice from melting.
As you work to prevent ice damming, keep this in mind: attic insulation improvements are one of the CT home improvement projects with the highest ROI. Some projects can pay for themselves in as few as two years!
Fiderio & Sons
Get a free estimate on CT Home Improvement Services! Let Fiderio & Sons, a ct home improvement company, help turn the hopes and dreams you have for your home into a beautiful reality. Visit our Meriden showroom this week. Or call us today at 203-237-0350203-237-0350 to schedule a FREE in-home design consultation.
