Ice Dams

Has anyone in the North Country ever used a complete ventilation system? (Won't brand the name) We used allot of their products this past year to get the full warranty from the manufacturer. We would use their intake Edge vent and outside baffled ridge vent on the ridge line. We followed all of the manufactures specs and even did more than required.

Now, I have customers with large ice dams still on their home. Going down their block everyone has ice dams going on their roof. We spent extra time on labor and materials so this wouldn't be such a problem for them. Going into the new year I find myself complexed as to why we would spend the extra time and their money on installing this type of system. If I just put 6' of ice and water shield on their roofs I can save my future customers hundreds of dollars.

Facts: 1. Proper amount of insulation in the attic. 2. Proper ventilation system. 3. Checked their april air systems. 4. Checked their humidity in the attic and main floor. Nobody had more than 25% humidity on their main floors.

If what we have been taught about proper ventilation and insulation is correct and the fancy pant engineer's that put the numbers down. Wouldn't you believe that they wouldn't have ice dams upwards of 2' high?

What would you other roofers do?? We just want to be known as the roofer that didn't rip this homeowner off.

Whenthey get tired of the ice and leakage in the winter and the hot upstairs rooms in the summer, they ask, "what can we do?"

Have you ever heard of a "cold roof" maam? Works for me.

dennis Said: Depends on what you consider a complete ventilation system. Some roofs have different ventilation requirements.

If I just put 6 of ice and water shield on their roofs I can save my future customers hundreds of dollars.

That wont stop the ice dams.

What I meant by the 6' of ice guard is.. If proper ventilation isn't going to stop their ice problem I could just do the bear minimum on ventilation and keep the water out by adding extra ice guard.

I also didn't want to bust out AirVent. But, that's the only products I have used for 10 years. When The "Edge" came out it was easier to use and less costly than using the combovent.

I would also love to install new rafters and make a cold roof for my customers, however in my area it takes everything we have just to get the homeowner to understand about some ventilation, attic insulation, and the use of roof baffles.

Any home that we have attic insulation installed in we put rafter baffles into. Then we will use the attic cat or equivilant to complete the job. Always have gone above for our customers what the basic or minimums by the state or local government are.

Just a few houses I don't think you will ever completely get rid of their ice dams. Unless, of course you install the cold roof system. By the way, great Job!! Maybe you could teach us how to sell that service??

Thanks for all the help so far. I am going to direct some of the homeowners that want to argue their points of views to this forum...

One of the best preventative measures against ice damming is attic insulation. This will stop the attic becoming heated, thus stopping the snow melting as it lands on the roof, and subsequently turning to ice. Saves on the heating bills too. .......and for any homeowners viewing this, get the fall leaves out of the gutters BEFORE winter kicks in. The blocked gutter causes the melted snow to freeze in it and then creep up and under the roof as more snow melt hits the newly formed ice. Now your problem becomes a nightmare.

Are you saying that he had a lot of ice?

I am a lot better roofer than I am a tech geek! We need the pictures though so thank you very much!

That didn't go well! I have some pictures of a cold roof I tried to post.

Soldierboy, Certainteed makes the edge vent, but I agrued with them when they put on their dog and pony show here in Kalamazoo. You would be much better off to just take out the soffit panels, move the insulation out of the way in the soffit area, and then install proper vents so that the attic can breath. THEN, install a fully vented aluminum soffit system so that the air can get to the propervents. Make sure taht the ridgevent is the Air Vent II as that system is the best.

They have good stuff, but the edge vent is for people that are too lazy to do it right. Since you are concerned and want to do it right, you are not lazy, but misinformed. They did it too you.

In extreme cases we will install a "cold roof" over top of the existing structure. Strip off the old roofing, install rafters over top of the existing ones, redeck it and then roof it like regular. Insulate the attic up to the old roof deck and cut holes in it so that the air can flow freely.

http://picasaweb.google.com/crookston.john4/ColdRoofInKalamazoo?authkey=Gv1sRgCOTnivPelaiZGg#

Depends on what you consider a complete ventilation system. Some roofs have different ventilation requirements.

"If I just put 6' of ice and water shield on their roofs I can save my future customers hundreds of dollars. "

That won't stop the ice dams.