Do You Have Ice Dams?

Maine homes are built tough, but did you know that the heavy snowfall could mean you are at risk of serious lasting damage to your home? Ice dams are a real threat to Rockland homeowners, and as the experts in home performance we want to help prevent your home from incurring any unnecessary damage this winter.

What Are Ice Dams?

An ice dam is a buildup of ice at the edge of your roof after a heavy snowfall starts to melt. Snow begins to melt on the upper section of a roof due to heat escaping your home, and as it reaches the cooler parts of the roof it often freezes, preventing any more melted snow from draining into your gutters or drainage system. This water can push itself under your shingles and rot away at the wood, as well as leak through your walls and ceilings.

How do you know you have ice dams? If you see icicles hanging from your roof or gutters, it’s likely your home is in danger of the damage that ice dams can cause.

What’s the “Dam”-age?

As water builds up on your roof, it can cause leakage that will wreak havoc on your home, causing extensive and expensive damage. This includes:

  • Damaged insulation
  • Mold growth
  • Roof leaks
  • Broken gutters
  • Destroyed soffits or siding
  • Stained drywall/plaster

How to Prevent Ice Dams

The best way to protect your home from the damage of ice dams is to prevent them from forming in the first place. At the heart of what creates an ice dam is stack effect. Stack effect is the phenomenon where warm air rises to upper areas of the home (in turn, melting the snowfall on your roof.) This effect is virtually present in every home, but it can be significantly minimized by pairing proper insulation with home air sealing in the attic and other key areas.

Insulation helps create a thermal barrier between your home and the outdoors. Air sealing is the process of fixing all of the little cracks and gaps in your home where air leaks through. By making sure your home is properly insulated and air sealed, you are not only protecting your roof but also making your home more energy efficient and comfortable year-round.

Keep Your Home Safe From Ice Dams with Evergreen

At Evergreen Home Performance, we specialize in making Maine homes healthy, comfortable, and energy efficient. If you are worried your home may be at risk of forming ice dams, we can help. Schedule a free consult with our experts. We can diagnose your home and make sure you stay comfortable and worry-free during Maine’s cold winters!

Protect your home from ice dams this winter. Contact us or call 207-594-2244 today to schedule your insulation and air sealing services!

Evergreen listened and produced a thoughtful evaluation, proposal and comprehensive plan for our attic and basement. They exhibited excellent workmanship, teamwork, and came back as planned after the completion of the job to test the outcomes. Their overall performance as insulation and home improvement contractors is truly outstanding and we highly recommend them.

Susan S.

Saco

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

Great job installing windows and insulation.

Bob S.

Rockland

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

Jacob Watson

I cannot say enough great things about working with Evergreen Home Performance. Everything including the initial consultation, the fabulous work crew, the office support and the final resolution was handled in a caring and professional manner. My only regret is that I did not know about them earlier. I enthusiastically recommend Evergreen to anyone with concerns about home energy use.

Darlene R

Bath

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

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

The Evergreen Team did a fabulous job and was very tuned and responsive to the particular needs we had. The job was done right on budget and we are thrilled with the improved warmth and energy efficiency.

Ira M.

Rockland

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

Professional, friendly and hard-working staff. The product/approach they use for insulation is top notch. We felt the difference immediately, both from added warmth and eliminating drafts. The team and management were easily available to answer our questions or coordinate meeting times. Highly recommended.

Kevin J.

Yarmouth

Nothing but good things to say. The guys that came and did the actual work were extremely nice and did a great job. The energy audit was thorough and I was presented with multiple improvement options, I was even given ideas for improvement that Evergreen didn't offer. I never felt like I was being "sold".

Ryan Adams

Evergreen did a fantastic job replacing 28 windows in our house. They were friendly, courteous, and very detail oriented. Brian did a great job planning, estimating and executing the project. Our energy use has dropped significantly since the work was done.

Alex B.

Kittery

Evergreen came back this year to finish insulating our house. We have been remodeling and renovating an 1850s cape for several years. Their employees are very professional and pleasant to deal with. Over several years Brian Robinson has been able to schedule us in for several small areas that needed addressing and finally turning a room we used to close off in the winter into a comfortable usable space. We primarily heat with wood and since Evergreens great work our furnace has only come on ONCE this winter. Fantastic. Really satisfied customer in Thomaston.

Chris F.

Thomaston

I was extremely pleased with the professionalism and quality of service that I received from the Evergreen team. I met Richard to discuss options for insulation. I knew immediately that I wanted to do business with them because he did not try to over-sell extra services that I did not need. Dave was the project manager. He was not only kind, but very respectful of my home. I would highly recommend this company.

Darlyann M

Bath

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

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