Prevent Ice Dams with Unified Insulation's Superior Insulation Solutions

     Ice Dam Formation

     An ice dam is the formation of a large portion of ice over the eaves of your roof space, the part that hangs over the edge of the home. Ice dams form when snow piles up on rooftops, rising heat from attics cause the bottom layers to melt and run down the roof, then the water refreezes over top of attic eaves, which are colder than the rooftop, enough to reform into ice.  These little drops all form into a large ice pile right at the edge of your roof.  They will contribute to large icicle formations as more and more melted water is able to spill over the dam and refreeze.  The ice and water add a great deal of weight to your roof – perhaps more than it can sustain. It can even cause leaks inside the home as the water behind the dam rises up and over the layers of the shingles.

Ice Dam Removal

     Its a big enough problem that in the Northern States, like Ohio, companies have cropped up specializing in the removal of ice dams. They use a combination of power washing with heated water and steam machines to gently remove the ice dam without breaking any portions of the roof.  Removal can be expensive, so its best to avoid ice dams in the first place.

     There are various products on the market that are made to be able to stop ice dams from forming or from becoming too large. Some of the products are electrical and provide heat to the area to melt off ice and snow, this style of product, while effective, will add to your monthly electric bills.  Other ice dam prevention products offer a passive way to deal with ice dams by installing ribbed metal panels at the edge of the roof along with snow guards to promote drainage instead of ice formation.  While these two solutions may reduce the impact of ice dams, they do not stop the root problem that is causing them in the first place, its just dealing with the side-effects!

    Treat the cause

     To get to the root of the problem, and why ice dams are forming in the first place, it all comes down to escaping energy and heat from the thermal envelope of the home.  If heat is escaping from the attic, it is going to cause snow to melt and you risk ice dam formation.  To stop heat escaping from the attic, Unified Insulation Systems' solution is to seal any air leaks, increase your attic insulation, and stop the escape of heat from the lived-in areas of the home – which will stop the root cause of the problem!

     Conditioned or Unconditioned Attics

We know the target location to stop the formation of ice dams, the attic, but there is more than one kind of attic.  There are generally two types of attics: Conditioned and Unconditioned, and then these divide into subsections of vaulted ceiling attics, attics with drop ceilings, etc.  Both main styles require a different solution for insulation and air sealing to prevent ice dams:

• A Conditioned attic is unvented, because they're a lived-in part of house that the HVAC reaches.  Air is meant to circulate in and out of a conditioned attic to keep the temperature the same as the rest of the home.  These are typically attic spaces that are finished or semi-finished and contain a bedroom, storage room, or other space.  Insulation in conditioned attics is installed directly under the roof with an air gap, this method will include the conditioned attic space in the homes' thermal envelope.

• An Unconditioned attic is a vented attic that is not part of the thermal envelope of the home.  Vapors are able to exit the space via ventilation that is not connected to the HVAC.  It may consist of venting in the eaves and a vent in the top-rear of the home. Insulation is spread onto the floor of the attic (above the ceiling of the top most floor) and does not insulate the space inside the attic, its more like a lid, the top is sealed to keep heat inside the home below.  This keeps the attic space cold, and stops snow from melting on the top of the roof.

     Whether conditioned or unconditioned, Unified Insulation Systems will configure a plan to insulate your attic space, seal air leaks, and ensure that ice dams can not form!  It's agreed on by experts; insulation and air sealing is the best way to prevent ice dams from ever showing up.

If Ice dams are a problem for your home, give Unified Insulation a call to book a time that works for you.  We'll get an estimator out for a free inspection and customized quote to tune up your attic insulation and stop the formation of ice dams in the future!  Call 330-773-7377 on weekdays between 7am and 4pm to schedule your service, we have later appointments available on request!