Ice Dam Prevention
Wisconsin winters are especially snowy and cold, and this can be taxing on your home. This is especially true if icicles and ice dams form along the edge of your roof during the winter. Icicles and ice dams can cause significant damage to your home’s exterior and are a sign that your attic is under-insulated. Luckily, they can be prevented by the professionals at Wisconsin Home Improvement.
What is an Ice Dam?
During the winter, escaping heat from your attic can melt snow that has accumulated on your roof. As the melted water begins to move towards the edge of the roof, it meets a colder area where it then refreezes. This causes blocks of ice to form and create ice dams, including icicles which hang from your gutters and roof.
Ice dams and heavy icicles can wreak havoc on your home’s gutters, siding, roof and attic. Removing them is difficult and must be done regularly; however, preventing them requires just a few preventive measures which need to be done only once.
How to Prevent Ice Dams from Forming
During the winter, escaping heat from your attic can melt snow that’s accumulated on your roof. As the melted water begins to move towards the edge of the roof, it meets a colder area that then refreezes it. This causes blocks of ice to form and create ice dams, including icicles which hang from your gutters and roof.
Preventing Ice Dams from Forming
Prevention of ice dams is much more effective than later trying to remove them. Although this does involve an initial investment, it helps to avoid problems and additional expenses in the long-term. The most effective solutions for preventing ice dams include:
Air Sealing
During the winter, stack effect can be much more pronounced in a leaky home. Stack effect causes warm air to rise and escape through the attic, pulling cold outdoor air in through the home’s lower levels.
To lower your energy bills, keep your home more comfortable, reduce stress on your heating system, and prevent ice dams, be sure to air seal your attic. Having your attic air sealed reduces the amount of warm air that seeps up into the attic. This lowers the attic’s temperature to keep it from melting rooftop snow, preventing the first step of ice dam formation.
Attic Insulation
Insulation acts as a thermal barrier for your home, preventing heat transfer. Increasing your attic insulation prevents heat from transferring into the attic space and enhances the effects of air sealing.
By keeping your home’s heated air confined to your living spaces, you’ll save on energy bills, stay more comfortable year-round, and reduce the melting and refreezing effect that creates ice dams. Improving your attic insulation after effectively air sealing is the second step in preventing ice dams, as well as keeping your home more cozy and energy efficient.
Wisconsin Home Improvement Helps to Prevent Ice Dams
Stop ice dams from damaging your home this winter with help from the expert team at Wisconsin Home Improvement. In addition to preventing ice dams from forming, we’ll help to keep you stay comfortable all year long in a home that’s energy efficient.
