Monday, January 7, 2008

Warmth & Ice Dams ... An Expensive Combination

Question: When is a toasty warm house in the winter not good?

Answer: When your attic becomes too warm, causing ice dams and potentially mould, reduced insulation effectiveness, a leaky roof, and even worse.

Ice dams are walls of ice that form at the edge of a roof, usually near the gutter or soffit. Water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates pools of water which can leak into your home and cause damage to your ceilings, roof sheathing and shingles, and may also ruin your insulation.

The easiest way to prevent ice dams is to keep your gutters clean and to ensure your attic is properly vented to keep the temperature down. Surprisingly, a cooler attic is better for your home and for your health; warm air that condenses in your attic can cause mould. A general rule of thumb is to keep your attic no warmer than 15 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the exterior air temperature.

Stay warm this winter, but keep your attic cool. It might save you a lot money and aggravation.

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