How to Prevent Ice Dams in Gutters
One of the most common problems that homeowners face in the winter are ice dams. Ice dams are collections of large, hanging ice formations that occur when melting snow refreezes at the edge of the roof. This can cause the gutters to break under the overwhelming weight of the ice. Ice dams can also damage shingles, peel paint from the exterior of a home and cause water damage in the home’s attic. Installing insulation and cleaning out the gutter system are two ways to prevent ice dams from forming. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Install insulation in the attic of the home. The insulation can be manufactured from cellulose or fiberglass and can either be attached to the attic’s framing or sprayed directly into the space between the framing and the attic's roof. Sheets of insulation should be at least 12 inches thick and run continuously throughout the entire attic. The insulation will help trap the heat inside the home, which will keep the snow on the roof from refreezing and making ice dams.
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Install a ventilation system to help keep the attic cooler during the winter. Some types are a soffit-to-ridge ventilation system, roof vents, power vents and gable louvers. Install insulation baffles to help protect the insulation from the cool air that enters the attic through these ventilation options.
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Avoid placing water heaters or other equipment of a mechanical nature inside the attic. These can produce heat and moisture that can melt the snow on the roof, which can lead to ice dams.
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Keep the gutters free of leaves and other obstructions. This can help keep the water from pooling in the gutters, which will freeze and cause the ice dams.
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Patch any holes or penetrations in the roof or the upper wall of the attic with weather stripping, caulk or spray foam. These areas of potential air leakage can be caused by ceiling fixtures, chimneys, wiring or plumbing, leading to heat loss.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid chipping away at the ice with a pickax or shovel. This can damage the gutters and the roof's shingles.
Remove ice dams by raking off the snow and ice formed on the roof with a long-handled aluminum roof rake. This is the safest method because you remain on the ground during the removal process.
References
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Comments
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If you lay an ice melt sock across the gutter the ice will melt and keep the gutter open all winter.
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Debi Kastner
Feb 24, 2011
Bull. Unless you have the ideal attic (and then you wouldn't even be looking at this page), think a lot of this advice is promotion for roof work. I have a ranch built in the 1950's that has a shallow hot roof. Spent thousands ventilating ... did all of the above including heavy duty attic soffit ventilation channels between every rafter ... then spent many more thousands replacing the roof. Sealing a hot shallow roof from air leaks coming from inside the house and opening it up to outside air let's more moisture in than can get out. Humidity in Michigan is high most of the time, causing both dry rot and black mildew ... no matter how much you ventilate (short of taking the roof off). OPENING the attic door half a foot relieves the humidity from the attic, and let's it dry out. You need to find a happy medium between too much heat in the attic and too much humidity. For the...
