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!

We had Evergreen Home Performance of Rockland come in to make our home more energy efficient, and what a TOP notch crew. Brian and his crew did an amazing job from start to finish. Very knowledgeable and professional. We would Definitely highly recommend this crew to anyone who is looking for energy efficiency in their home with a company that truly is an expert and knows how to do a quality job and truly cares about their customer.

Melissa S.

Owls Head

The Evergreen crew who installed insulation in my attic were fantastic! They were very professional, worked exceedingly hard, and they did an excellent job. They were very pleasant and friendly to be around. They cleaned up beautifully after each work day, and left my home in great shape on when they walked out the door for the last time. I can't believe they were able to accomplish all that they did with heat soaring into the 80s and 90s. It was pretty unbearable up there! They have my highest praise and my gratitude.

Cynthia F.

South Portland

I was very impressed by the professionalism of this company and the workers. Brian R. was very prompt in replying to my questions; the crew was meticulous in all parts of the work and attentive to the safety aspects concerning Covid; and Brian was extremely thorough in the final inspection. My attic is now snug and warm and I've noticed that the second floor is warmer as well.

Julia S.

Rockland

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

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 everything they said they would and more. I actually don't mind going into the basement now since they sealed it. The air quality in the house is noticeably better and it's warmer in the winter. We can even store clothing down there where before, whatever was in there would mildew. Even the spider population declined! I used to vacuum so many of them from the corners of the ceilings in the house. Not any more!

Loriel Van Dusen

We absolutely loved our experience with Evergreen. The team was incredibly kind, professional and great to work with. We're very impressed with the quality of work of the Evergreen team and how easy they made everything! Our house had barely any insulation ahead of this project and the results are amazing. Insulating the attic, walls and basement with Evergreen allowed us to tear a 50-year-old furnace, ductwork and oil tank out of the basement and now heat the home with new heat pumps. Evergreen also added 100 sq ft of clean, new storage space to the attic!

Nick S.

South Portland

Great job installing windows and insulation.

Bob S.

Rockland

This team of individuals was professional at all times. They set up barriers that kept the dust at a minimum. They conducted an air flow audit and cut the draft circulation from the outside in half by sealing cracks. They hauled out the old insulation and replaced it with blown in insulation with an R - 60 Value. They also did the rebate paperwork so that I could get my $1500.00 rebate from the state of Maine. I highly recommend Evergreen Home Performance!

Daniel B.

Rockland

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

My experience with Evergreen was excellent. From their thorough and thoughtful initial consultation to their detailed post-work visit, the team was professional, knowledgeable, and responsive. Their workmanship was top notch. Our home is now much warmer and more efficient. I highly recommend their services!

Douglas R.

Edgecomb

Working with Brian and with Nate and the rest of the crew was a pleasure. They made everything very easy and understandable. This was a major renovation and they were always at the ready with a lot of information. We had an extensive renovation on the basement which was a dirt basement and it came out beautifully. We can already tell from all of the insulation work what a difference it's made in sound and temperature. Brian worked with me on the rebates that are available when you do this kind of work. I would highly recommend this company to…

Valerie L.

Rockland

Our basement was the eyesore of the house. I wanted to make improvements, but first needed to make structural, insulating and moisture mitigation improvements. Evergreen was professional and competent in taking on a complex project of not only encapsulation and insulation of basement and crawlspace, but completed needed improvements to the structural integrity of the wood floor platform above a crawlspace and brought in a concrete contractor to pour where there was once a rotting, tiered wood platform - replacing that area with a more functional and tight tiered concrete area.

Duane B.

East Boothbay

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

Greetings one and all! I am writing to express my gratitude to all involved in my insulation project.  From start to finish, I appreciate the universal theme which was maintained by each and every one of you, to ensure that my home was insulated and protected from freezing pipes as if it was your home. Andrea, thanks for helping me navigate my way to the project. Nate, thanks for the thorough initial assessment and the time you took to explain this project to me, step by step. Brian, thanks for setting up my project - so happy

Michele

Portland Buy Local
Efficiency Maine
EPA Lead-Safe Certified
Building Performance Association
BPI Certified