Ice dams over an attic are very common and can be a major problem in our area. Snow melt in the valley of a home's roof (an area where several roof slopes meet) can often create a significant build up of ice. This ice can then allow water to infiltrate the roof into the home. The water entering the home can damage the structure and wood, create an environment condusive for mold growth and damage the Sheetrock and finish within the home. We have also repaired hundreds of homes where slipping on the ice was a very real liability concern.

Ice dams are generally caused by several factors, but the remedy starts with a clear understanding of what is causing the problem. We are certified energy auditors and have the knowledge, experience and tools to help figure this out and solve this for you.

AIR LEAKAGE - We see excessive snow melt and ice dam buildup in homes where we discover that there is heat leakage in the attic. This leakage and what is referred to in our practice as an attic bypasse, bring significant heat and moisture up into the attic. Sealing these bypases and air leakage is the first step to help reduce the ice dam problem. This helps to reduce convective energy loss into the attic.

LACK OF INSULATION - The ice dam probem is further aggravated by a lack of insulaton in the attic. It is important that the attic be brought up the State Energy Code minimums, which is R50 or about 16" of insulation. This helps to reduce conductive energy loss into the attic.

LACK OF VENTILATION - Very often we see situations were the attic is not breathing properly. This can be caused by a number of reasons, including previous weatherization work where the insulator clogged the soffit venting. Previous insulators, perhaps not versed in building science or best practices clogged the vents by simply pushing new insulation into the attic. We call these operators 'blow and go' and they have caused quite a bit of problems in this industry. In fact many of our jobs are to go back into a home where a bad insulator caused issues and we in turn fixed the problem for the homeowner. We will often see attics that were performing fine in previous years, but have developed ventilation problems over the years. Often what we find is that the soffet vent screens have become clogged with cottonwood impeding the air flow. It is important that the soffit vents breath and allow fresh air to evacuate excess heat and moisture in the attic.

We take Green very seriously in the materials we use. We use the Greenest closed cell foam in the market. Our foam has UL Bio Based Certification, UL Mold Resistance Certification and UL GreenGuard Compliance. Compared to other foams our product is known for its higher R-value per inch, meets the California air quality standard CA 01350 and is currently listed as GreenGuard Gold for low emissions, is better for basements, crawlspaces, and exterior spaces as well as attics and walls. The foam rejects large amounts of water and is ideal for flood zones and leaks. It adds strength to wall racking, is less permeable for air, pests, moisture and heat.

The foam we have available for our clients is recognized in the industry for being the greenest and is recognized by the Green Guard organization.

We bring over a decades worth of experience to this area. This area of site is under construction. Shortly we will have pictures and narrative to share.

We bring over a decades worth of experience to this area. This area of site is under construction. Shortly we will have pictures and narrative to share.

We bring over a decades worth of experience to this area. This area of site is under construction. Shortly we will have pictures and narrative to share.

We bring over a decades worth of experience to this area. This area of site is under construction. Shortly we will have pictures and narrative to share.

We bring over a decades worth of experience to this area. This area of site is under construction. Shortly we will have pictures and narrative to share.

Frosting and moisture in the attic is a common occurance in our Minnesota homes, especially if the home is not properly air sealed, insulated and ventilated. The rule of thumb is that each occupant of the home adds 1.5 gallons of water to the home.

Imagine that...

A family of 4 brings 6 gallons of H20 into the house, through perspiration, showers and baths, house plants, pets, cooking, humidiers and infiltration. Think of a 5 gallon carboy of water entering your home every day. And guess where most of this water goes? Up into the attic. But not if we can help it.

Our goal is to:

(1) seal the attic to eliminate much of this moisture from entering the attic

(2) ensure that the attic is breathing and can release the excess moisture

(3) educate the homeowner as to the best practices and levels to set the relative humidity for our unique rapidly changing weather