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Don Fraley Posted: Aug 18, 2011 11:43 AM	Ice dam We have had problems with ice dams causing water damage to the interior walls. In the past some consultants have determined that the problem is the furnace being installed in the attic area which is causing the snow to melt to rapidly and them refreezing in the gutters – ICE DAMS. The builder installed two solar vents and increased other venting to reduce the attic heat due to the furnace and thus reducing the differential between the attic space and the roof supposedly stopping problem. So far this has appeared to work but we have not had a real severe winter to test this theory. I am considering spay foam installation to further decrease the roof heating problem. I talked with one builder and he advised against it due to dry rot???? Anybody else have any advice pro or con on the spry in to alleviate our problem.
mason Posted: Aug 18, 2011 03:28 PM	Sprayfoam is very effective at keeping the roof decking cold and not allowing ice dams to form. As for dry rot, I wouldn't have any concern when using the sprayfoam.
Posted: Aug 19, 2011 01:20 AM	sprayfoam is very effective in being part of the the toolbox to curing ice dams,,, we have remediated hundreds out here in the chilly cornfields,,, realize a system integrateing sprayfoam would typically be a non ventilated attic assembly,,,and would take a good "look see" from the entire system approach to be safe and effective,,,ie mechanical vent,,,ie make up air for that furnace thingy,,and all the other possibles good luck
jimcoler I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs. I've expanded my knowledge into t Posted: Aug 20, 2011 01:33 PM	We were called two years ago by a cotractor who had a customer who had major ice damming all over the house. The customer was the principal of a very large Architecture Firm and just wanted it fixed right away! We came in, took a look and suggested spraying the entire underside of the roof and it would elimnate the ice damming! This was done over Christmas Weekend - and the place was back to normal by the first of the year with the drywall inside replaced, the floor replaced and some walls replaced. This was all a result of the ice damming damage! I stil drive by there even on some of the worst ice damming days of the year and see no ice damming!It's a total change and it worked like all of the other houses we've done this work on. So, we say, spray the underside of the roof and forget about it!

Author

Comments

Don Fraley

Posted: Aug 18, 2011 11:43 AM

Ice dam

We have had problems with ice dams causing water damage to the interior walls. In the past some consultants have determined that the problem is the furnace being installed in the attic area which is causing the snow to melt to rapidly and them refreezing in the gutters – ICE DAMS. The builder installed two solar vents and increased other venting to reduce the attic heat due to the furnace and thus reducing the differential between the attic space and the roof supposedly stopping problem. So far this has appeared to work but we have not had a real severe winter to test this theory.

I am considering spay foam installation to further decrease the roof heating problem. I talked with one builder and he advised against it due to dry rot????

Anybody else have any advice pro or con on the spry in to alleviate our problem.

mason

Posted: Aug 18, 2011 03:28 PM

Sprayfoam is very effective at keeping the roof decking cold and not allowing ice dams to form. As for dry rot, I wouldn't have any concern when using the sprayfoam.

Posted: Aug 19, 2011 01:20 AM

sprayfoam is very effective in being part of the the toolbox to curing ice dams,,,
we have remediated hundreds out here in the chilly cornfields,,,

realize a system integrateing sprayfoam would typically be a non ventilated attic assembly,,,and would take a good "look see" from the entire system approach to be safe and effective,,,ie mechanical vent,,,ie make up air for that furnace thingy,,and all the other possibles

good luck

jimcoler

I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs.

I've expanded my knowledge into t

Posted: Aug 20, 2011 01:33 PM

We were called two years ago by a cotractor who had a customer who had major ice damming all over the house. The customer was the principal of a very large Architecture Firm and just wanted it fixed right away! We came in, took a look and suggested spraying the entire underside of the roof and it would elimnate the ice damming! This was done over Christmas Weekend - and the place was back to normal by the first of the year with the drywall inside replaced, the floor replaced and some walls replaced. This was all a result of the ice damming damage!

I stil drive by there even on some of the worst ice damming days of the year and see no ice damming!It's a total change and it worked like all of the other houses we've done this work on.

So, we say, spray the underside of the roof and forget about it!

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