The Problem
During the winter months you experience excessive ice build-up along the eaves (roof overhang) just above the gutters. Through a series a thawing and freezing cycles ice makes its way under your roof shingles and makes contact with the roof sheathing below. When the ice eventually melts, water finds its way through the sheathing causing stains and leaks on finished ceilings and walls below.
The Reason
There are several reasons why this occurs. The most common has to do with the exterior walls and the attic of your home. Warm air from inside your home fills the voids within the exterior walls and makes its way up to the attic along the eaves. If there were enough insulation in the attic over this area no damming would occur. Unfortunately this location within the attic is likely to contain the least amount of insulation. This is because this area is very narrow and does not allow for the required amount of insulation. Warm air from the living space below freely flows along this edge at the overhang causing snow to melt during the day when the sun is out and refreezing at night when the temperature drops. Under the right conditions this cycle can continue for days on end. Before long the freeze thaw cycle causes the ice to back up onto the roof, force its way under the roof shingles and come in contact with the roof sheathing below. During the next thaw ice turns to water and begins to drip into your home.
The Fix
Fortunately The Pro’s at Energy Geeks has a simple solution. Since adding more insulation is not an option due to the inherent tight space in this location, the problem can often be remedied by air sealing along the tops of the exterior walls from within the attic with spray foam insulation. This effectively stops the flow of warm air from being released into the attic. As a bonus, your home will be warmer, less drafty and will require less energy to heat.
Best of all, you may qualify for zero percent interest financing through the EnergyWise and Mass Save Heat Loan Program which can be used for window replacement and other energy efficiency improvements. Combine this with generous utility rebates some of which may cover up to 75% of the cost and it becomes clear that there has never been a better time to act. Isn’t it about time for this simple problem to be fixed once and for all?
