Ice Dams? It’s Time to Insulate

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We’re in the thick of another long Maine winter, and if you are already tired of shoveling your sidewalks and driveways, you’re not alone. As you manage the snow around your house this year, there is one area you may be forgetting to keep a close eye on: your roof.

The roof is a common site for ice dams and icicles during the winter. If you’re starting to see ice accumulation along your roof’s edge, it is a sure sign that it’s time to upgrade your attic insulation.

Why Upgrade My Attic Insulation?

Homeowners often ask us what ice dams have to do with attic insulation. The answer has to do with how ice dams form in the first place.

Ice dam formation begins in a warm attic. Attic heat melts accumulated snow on the roof, which then flows down to the edge of the roof where it is cooler. When that melted snow reaches the roof’s edge, it refreezes and forms a “dam.” Over time, water will pool up behind this dam and seep underneath the shingles, potentially leading to mold growth, wet insulation, interior water stains, and exterior roof damage.

If you want to keep ice dams from forming, it’s important to keep heat from escaping into the attic in the first place. While heat has a natural tendency to rise in a home, attic insulation and air sealing stop rising heat from entering the attic and keep it down in your living spaces where it belongs.

Attic Insulation Offers Additional Benefits

Proper attic insulation and air sealing go a long way in keeping ice dams from forming on your roof during the winter — but that’s not the only benefit these energy saving upgrades offer. When you have a trusted insulation specialist upgrade your attic insulation, you can expect whole-home benefits like:

  • A warmer home in the winter

  • Stable comfort from room to room

  • Less need to run your heating system

  • Greater home energy efficiency

  • Lower annual heating costs

  • A cooler home in the summer

Plus, because attic insulation helps make your home more energy efficient, it qualifies for up to $2,500 in rebates from Efficiency Maine.

Evergreen Is Your Local Insulation Contractor

Don’t spend another winter putting your home at risk of the damage that ice dams can cause. If you’re seeing ice dams and icicles along the edge of your roof, talk to the team at Evergreen Home Performance about upgrading your attic insulation before your ice dams cause any damage. During a free consult, we’ll discuss your home’s pain points and show you how attic insulation can help you prevent ice dams, save money, and feel more comfortable all winter.

Seeing ice dams on your roof? It’s time for an insulation upgrade. Call 207-594-2244 or contact us to talk to your local home insulation expert!

Ice dams and icicles on your roof?

Prevent damage to your home with proper insulation 207-594-2244

Very easy process, start to finish.  Friendly, professional, and really know their stuff.  They made some improvements to our condo and we were very happy with how it played out.  Would definitely recommend them.

Clayton Eames

We just finished a large project air sealing and reinsulating our 1890s basement and attic. It 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.

E Gallant

Kennebunk

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

We had Evergreen energy do blow-in cellulose. I was very happy with the result. They tested with blower-door before and after. House is now MUCH warmer. Also, in the time since when I've had to open walls for various access, I've been impressed with how they got the insulation packed in everywhere. I'd use them again.

Noah

Peaks Island

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

We had Evergreen come out to our tiny old (100+ year old) house to see what they would recommend for decreasing our carbon footprint, saving money, and increasing our comfort in the cold season. Richard and Bryan were great to work with, patiently answering our many questions and walking us through multiple options. We could only afford to tackle a few areas this year; we ended up replacing some windows and having them weatherize the entire house.

Alan M.

Falmouth

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

We are thrilled with the job Evergreen did to transform our 213 year old home into a warm, draft-free, cozy space. The entire team led by Bruce was prompt, courteous, knowledgeable, and hard working. If Evergreen could transform our home in this way, we are sure they would make a comparable difference in YOUR home!

Jonathan M.

Bridgton

A thorough inspection of our (older) house and its energy needs. Competent and personable work crew.

Jacob Watson

We needed basement encapsulation to stop moisture coming up into the house from our regularly flooding basement. We had mold growing on windowsills and furniture. All the staff were friendly, respectful of our home, and easy to work with. Humidity has gone from 70% down to 40% and mold has not grown back after two months. Very grateful.

Sarah C.

Belfast

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

Last week, my oil company asked if we were using some other kind of fuel because our usage was so much less than they had expected We are very happy with the results; the house is much more comfortable

Steve T.

St. George

I am very pleased with my experience with Evergreen Home Performance. I met several times with Richard Burbank and he was very detailed in his explanations to all of my questions. He provided me with several options for improving the insulation to our home. The team of installers were very professional and respectful of our home. They did a great job of cleaning up every day after the days work and they were also very responsive to all my questions as well as we collaborated to get our home better insulated. It was a pleasure to work with Richard and…

Brian C.

Falmouth

I never leave reviews, but had a great experience with Evergreen and wanted to spread the word! In short, we worked with them to insulate our roof this winter and have noticed surprising immediate results. The constant ice dams I have wrestled with are completely gone, and the home is noticeably more comfortable. It's a little too early to tell if our oil bill is going to reduce, but I imagine we will see an impact there as well.

Joel W.

Portland

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

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