Energy Efficiency Buzzwords De-Buzzed: Ice Dams

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Don't to the experts at Evergreen Home Performance about preventing ice dam damage to your Maine home.

Every industry does it. We use words that mean so much to us that we don’t realize that they’re meaningless to the rest of the world. This series – Energy Efficiency Buzzwords De-Buzzed– attempts to change that. Have a “green” word or phrase you want de-buzzed? Let us know and we’ll add it to the series!

Today’s buzzword: Ice Dams

Unfortunately, ice dams are a familiar-enough concept that they hardly qualify as a buzzword. Everyone knows that heavy icicles can pull off gutters, crash to the ground, trap water on the roof deck, and cause serious leaks, and everyone’s abuzz with quick, temporary fixes. Real solutions demand an understanding of the building science behind this common winter sight, though, and that’s how ice dams found their way into this series.

How do ice dams form?

  • As heat escapes from the living space into a leaky, underinsulated attic, it melts snow and ice on the roof.
  • Melted water drains along the roof, under the snow, and then refreezes when it reaches the roof’s cold overhang or gutter.
  • The resulting icicles are called ice dams because they trap melting water and keep it from draining off the roof.
  • Trapped water pushes up under shingles, where it can rot wood in your roof and attic or leak through your walls and ceilings.

How can you prevent ice dams?
Three key home performance elements work together to prevent ice dams by keeping your attic and roof cool:

  • Air sealing: Sealing pathways between the living space and the attic prevents heat from leaking directly into attic.
  • Insulation: Once air leaks are sealed, cellulose insulation slows the transfer of heat through the ceiling into the attic.
  • Ventilation: Any warm attic air needs to escape quickly, before it melts snow on the roof, and appropriate vents can help.

Will home performance eliminate all ice dams?
Sadly, no.  Solar gain or temperature fluctuations can warm your roof and create a cycle of melting, freezing, and ice build-up. Architectural elements like valleys and dormers can allow snow to accumulate, compress, and freeze. Fortunately, most ice dams can be eliminated on most homes.

Want to learn more? Schedule a FREE one-hour energy consult and learn how home performance can help you gain comfort, cut costs, and reduce ice dams dramatically. Don’t wait until they’re already a problem! Speak with the Experts at Evergreen today by calling 207-594-2244 or Contact Us

Ready to put a stop to damaging ice dams?

Don't wait until they're already a problem, speak with the experts at Evergreen Home Performance today! 207-594-2244

We initially contacted Evergreen through Efficiency Maine for an energy audit, which was conducted promptly and professionally by Justin McEdward, one of their Energy Advisors who is BPI-certified. After a thorough inspection of our newly purchased home, Justin explained in great detail what we needed and did not need. It was agreed that Evergreen would remove all of the existing attic insulation, which was not adequate, and replace it with blown in cellulose, to a rating of R-60.

Thomas W.

Scarborough

Evergreen has a professional and reliable team of people who do excellent work. If you want the best of the best in the area, select Evergreen to accomplish your insulation needs.

Mary E.

St. George

We just finished a large project of air sealing and reinsulating our 1890s basement and attic which had been completely renovated 8 years ago but still felt cold and lacked proper energy assessment and corrections. We met with Justin in December and were very impressed with his knowledge, professionalism and communication skills and knew Evergreen was who we wanted to work with. Dave was our on hands project manager and was excellent. The office staff has been quick to respond and helpful as well when needed.

Emily Gallant

We had a fantastic experience working with Evergreen to insulate our roof this winter. Everyone was extremely friendly throughout the process - the crew at our home worked hard, were approachable with questions, and the team leader even showed me around the project to point out specific areas they were working to improve.

Joel Wentz

Update 12/2018: Evergreen has completed Phase II of my house (insulating and installing air/moisture barrier on exterior walls, replacing old windows) and now that heating season is upon us, the difference is astonishing. The house is tight as a drum and so easy to keep warm. Worth every penny. Thank you all! Working with Evergreen was a positive experience from start (no charge energy audit) to finish (a MUCH more comfortable home). Brian Robinson spent a lot of time with me on the audit, explaining clearly what he was finding in my ca.

Rebekah W.

Rockport

Great company. Very professional and thorough. They take the time to explain everything and offer options to fit your budget. Wonderful experience from start to finish.

Bonnie Eustace

Several years ago Brian Robinson evaluated the crawl space at my summer home on Islesboro where I knew moisture was becoming a problem. I had done quite a bit of work in the space many years prior with mixed results. When Brian offered some suggestions, they were ideas that incorporated work previously done, and would be a relatively low cost effort to improve the situation. He offered this advice over several phone conversations of some length, informally, and at no charge.

Cliff R.

Islesboro

Evergreen has insulated two homes that we've owned now and both times we experienced exceptional service and craftsmanship. Our rep, Justin, went above and beyond answering questions and the installation team was attentive to every detail, including pulling out old poorly installed insulation and redoing a bathroom fan that wasn't up to current code. They also left the place spotless every day! Our home is already so much warmer this fall and we are looking forward to using less oil this winter.

Eva G.

Falmouth

Very Satisfied with the work performed by Evergreen. Professional employees, high quality work done in a timely manner. My sales rep was Justin, and he was phenomenal During the initial walk around my house, he gave me great ideas for how to improve the efficiency of our home. We will consult with Evergreen for our future home projects.

Adam G.

Westbrook

We couldn't be more pleased with the easy, professional, high-value service from Evergreen. Having purchased an older home that had been in our family for generations, we needed multiple upgrades, including insulation throughout. Evergreen insulated our attic with blown-in cellulose, built a new, super-insulated attic hatch, sealed off the old one (which was just a piece of plywood in a closet ceiling), and also talked us through our best options to upgrade our heating system given the plans we have to add onto the house.

Tom G.

South Thomaston

Evergreen has just completed Phase 2 of 2 at my home. They are professional, hard-working and courteous. They communicate well..no surprises. They've gone above and beyond to make my home comfortable and were very respectful of my home.I recommend them unequivocally!!!Many thanks to Brian, Brian, Rick, Eddie, Dawson and the rest of the Evergreen crew!!

David Henry Feldman

Evergreen did a fantastic job insulating our 1930's home. The onsite team was professional, clean, and really just a joy to interact with throughout the process. A blower test at the end showed a significant decrease in air leakage. I highly recommend Evergreen.

Kristen H.

South Portland

Highly recommended. Our heating usage is now less than half what it was before we had our roof insulated. Evergreen was knowledgeable, friendly, and left no trace they were ever in our house. Not only is our heating bill much lower now, but our home is generally more comfortable year-round with less temperature fluctuations. Money well spent.

RC Lations

We had Evergreen redo the insulation in our roof. The team handling our project did a great job. They left the house spotless. We've already noticed the difference in how much better our house is retaining heat. I would definitely recommend and will use them for future projects.

Ffej C.

South Portland

My husband and I bought a home on the water in Owls Head and decided to make the investment in Evergreen's recommendations for insulation. Brian Robinson spent 3 hours examining every nook and cranny before he made practical suggestions and explained them thoroughly to us.

Marie McNeely

Owls Head

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