How to Treat and Prevent Ice Dams | Ask This Old House

[@rjwalker6677]

Another tip is to get a roof rake, and rake the snow off your roof right after a heavy snowfall, before it melts. With less snow on the roof, there will be less that melts and thus less ice dams.

[@captainkangaroo4301]

The roof rake is the answer. You do not need to rake the entire roof just 3-4 feet from the edge. I live in Minnesota and haven’t had an ice dam in years.

[@joegellman2004]

First step is to seal all air gaps between the house (conditioned space) and the attic (unconditioned space) under existing insulation. Can spray foam (or combine with rigid foam) all gaps, penetrations of wires, pipes, holes, recessed light cans, around chimneys, etc. Then reposition and add required insulation allowing for proper ventilation. Spray foaming rafters only makes sense if you want the attic to become conditioned space.

[@inTruthbyGrace]

Just remember to attach a string to that sock to BOTH reposition the sock when you have bad aim for your first 5 attempts to position that sock-o-salt.. (like me) AND so you don't end up needing to climb up a ladder retrieve socks off your roof or out of your gutter in the spring!!! :)

[@gr8dvd]

Great suggestion; also woman’s panty-hose better than sock.

[@carybliese2363]

What kind of salt did you use? Table salt, water softener salt, ice melt, etc...

[@inTruthbyGrace]

@@carybliese2363 ice melt salt..

[@carybliese2363]

@inTruthbyGrace Thank You.

[@ruthgodfrey6955]

I use an extendable swimming pool brush, large oval brush head. Pulls the snow off great.

[@joeseatat]

You are a lifesaver!! We were panicking, thinking we had holes in our recently redone roof. Who are we going to call? What are we going to do? Now we know we need to hire someone to insulate and we know a safe way to break up our dams until spring. Thank you!

[@timrowlett5451]

Venting and air flow was not discussed and is very important. Getting warm air out of your attic is vital to preventing ice dams and keeping the underside of the roof deck cool.

[@MichaelSeneschal]

They talked about it at 2:00

[@MichelJosephCardin]

That yellow siding home that has an ice dam in the video at time of 0:17; is likely that has a washroom in that area or the range hood hose has an escaping amount of air and if someone bakes and what not or doesn’t use their range hood exhaust fan while their boiling of their spaghetti or such and if it is during a time of outdoor temperature that is close to freezing point; then if forced air furnace will become nonfunctioning because of the thermostat being warmed up by the cooking and snow will melt and freeze when it gets to the facia because heat rises and the soffit and facia is getting a flow of outdoor air as the circulation occurs between the insulation stops and the roofing materials and that is usually approximately 30 or so inches of cardboard along the center of 2/4 between the trusses which leaves an inch and a half of quick outdoor temperature air flow. And that is why you can see that there is an inconsistency of activity; there seems to be an area where heat was occurring between two rows of trusses. Well anyways; ventilation fixes everything. It might be a washroom also and that it may had been habit that after showers; door would become closed and would cool down slowly through the ceiling and maybe the fan is there also and vapour barriers should be sealed with the fan boxes also. But my money is on it being the kitchen with upper cupboards being all along our left of the window and sink at window with a void of cupboards over the sink or maybe halogen light inserts or halogen light fixture. I’m pretty sure that there was more heat right there. In the middle. Lol. I must have a lot of time on my hands right? Lol. Cheers. All they need there is correctly install the insulation and vapour barrier at the switching of constructing elements of the overhead structure where to the left of the door at the top would have a transitioning of sorts that attic changes either in having inner walls in the attic that turns the corner and maybe has been insulated too high between the studs where the blow in insulation should be level with the attic’s walls ones. I’m done here and they just need to unclog the airways through from soffit through to vents and add a vent if needed. Gooodd bye.

[@dadsbus]

Guys you missed the boat a bit on this one. Insulation is very important, but ventilation is equally important. I live in the great white north and see houses every day that have lots of insulation but are still ice damming badly. As soon as we create proper ventilation the problem is solved. It's a 2 part repair with both parts being equally important. Good insulation and ventilation happy homeowner.

[@PlasmaHH]

Roof angle and texture also play a role in this, where I come from this ice dam problem is basically unheard of

[@douglasb9105]

You hit the nail on the head, Mark. Insulation and ventilation are EQUALLY important.

[@augustreil]

@@douglasb9105, Agree 100% BOTH are equally important.

[@hdnagnda]

So. I would like to pick your brain about how to do this…which ghost buster can you call that does both? What if there doesn’t appear to be an attic?

[@thelorax7704]

I always heard that insulating under the roof will make the shingles get excessively hot in the summer and they will not last as long. Isn't it better to insulate the attic floor with more instead of the roof?

[@Jacno77]

i remember working for this scummy roofer for a week. Home owner said he gets real bad ice damming in the winters. The roofer just upsold him new gutters and took off. Also as I was roofing beside him, him and his worker did such a terrible job i felt guilty when he told us thanks. in my head i knew the only sides that aren't gonna blow off would be the ones i installed.

[@brady80338]

what if you don't have an attic?

[@ambroulard]

I get that insulation is the key to fixing this issue however you neglect to suggest removing the snow from the roof altogether--. Extending shovel contraptions exist you know......

[@ruthgodfrey6955]

I use an extendable swimming pool brush. Works like a charm !

[@mrzif0013]

what if you have cathedral ceiling and ice dams?

[@jessicamaines812]

this is also my issue....did you find any solutions?!

[@tcooney46msncom]

Save a ton of money having to repair damage and/or installing insulation. Get a long handled roof snow rake from home depot, and from the ground rake the eves free of snow. Ice dams will not form, or soon disappear. Contractors often see pricey home improvement solutions that may or may not work. Homeowners see low cost home maintenance solutions.

[@tcooney46msncom]

True. I understand. Another DIY solution to cold eves and ice dams is to install heating cable on top of shingles. I have heat cables over two small difficult areas. I can reach the other areas with a roof rake. Everybody's mileage varies.

[@tcooney46msncom]

Best wishes with that. As the video says, keeping the attic or crawl space above the ceiling warm, so that eves stay warm, is one of the better solutions. I'm probably a little too lazy to fix mine that way. Please tell me how it works out.

[@tcooney46msncom]

Two ways to approach ice build-up over eves: 1) Have an enormous amount of insulation everywhere above ceiling, so not much melt to run down and freeze above eve, or 2) Like you say, remove anything blocking flow of warm air into eve areas, so that melt water does not refreeze when it hits an otherwise cold eve overhang. This partial solution is not very energy efficient, as you are allowing warm air into areas above eve, where it will dissipate into the air. Do those thoughts make sense? You can't have ice dams and leakage, so the quick solution may be what you are doing, getting warm air above eve overhang. If you see ice reduction tomorrow, you will know it is working. -- Good luck

[@moochythecat3435]

Never use spray foam... It traps the moisture in your attic and creates mold, mildew, and rot... It's impossible to get rid of spray foam once it's on your roof...

[@Carl55_jc]

OK, I'd like to hear from one person who the socks worked for. I tried it; it doesn't work. Seems to me the answer is raking the roof after snowfall and before any significant amount of snow melts (the sooner the better), and trying your best to have proper ventilation and insulation of the attic space is what will work best. In other words, prevention.

[@dkat1108]

OK what about a vaulted ceiling ? There is no way to add insulation ?

[@leifharmsen]

What if the melting is from skylights that we love? We're using electric melter cables under them for now, and through our evestroughs on that side of the house because we don't want roof runoff water between the buildings.

[@Crusader1815]

You really need a ventilated air gap so the immediate underside of the roof surface is as cold as the snow on top. Then the melting will stop.

[@ksloan1]

The lower the pitch the more susceptible it is to ice damming if you’re in an area that gets heavy snowfall

[@thevikingwolfpack836]

What do you do if you have a vented roof?

[@Rockandrollgeerage]

Properly insulate the floor of the attic

[@ACorey6910]

I gotta shovel the roof at least 3 times per winter. Good half ton of wet sticky snow comes off. Need insulation lol.

[@augustreil]

Yes, Insulation and massive ventilation. The attic should be the same temp as the outside.

[@robertmcmanus636]

I've tried the sock with salt. Doesn't work. Careful chipping away with a hammer and some sort of chisel or screwdriver works, but it requires an extremely delicate touch.

[@mistab-nice4933]

My house get super hot in the summer in the attic/ storage room, so during the winter you can imagine it’s cold 🥶 how do I remedy this? My is a cape cod.

[@augustreil]

If you don't get ice dams, don't do anything. If it's a living area or want it to be, talk to at least 3-4 insulation specialists for recommendations.

[@cmckinnonr]

air sealing a roof with a vented attic?

[@ryanshannon7703]

That's what I was thinking when I saw the spray foam on the ceiling as well. You could also use XPS boards with 1/4" or 1/2" shims and adhere the xps boards to the shims. You'd just need to make sure the vents aren't covered by the insulation boards and you should be good. You could also spray foam the attic floor if you have enough rise from your joists.

[@jameschupp2230]

Exactly. But The only way to stop the ice dam, is to tear off the shingle roof down to the decking, install at least a 1x4 over each rafter and then decking over the top allowing outside cold air to come up through a screen at the eave edge and vent out at the top with a ridge vent. Use Self-Adhering Ice N' water underlayment on the bottom 8 foot, and finish with a heavy synthetic underlayment. And then reshingle. With the decking cold the ice and snow will not melt / Leak into the house. Another benefit is that in the summer, the attic will also stay cooler as well.

[@ryanshannon7703]

@@jameschupp2230 I think I would rather install XPS between the ceiling joists on the inside of the attic and seal the joints with spray foam or other expandable, insulated material. This would still keep the properties of your ventilated attic strictly between the roof and the under side of the roof decking so that temperature would remain very close to the same while your insulation would keep the warm air on the living side of the attic, which is the entire point of insulation in the first place. I don't think increasing the decking height by x-inches is really necessary, let alone ensuring that new deck height meets building standards/code, reinstall flashing for that new decking surface and then a full re-shingle. You're not even taking into consideration the additional weight of another entire *roof* on top of your existing roof, which was never in the original engineering design. This approach could severely compromise structural integrity of your roof and walls, honestly.

[@jameschupp2230]

@@ryanshannon7703 Well those are all good points to pay attention to, and your insulation on the attic ceiling giving you a air gap between your insulation and the underside of the roof decking, will work too. But you have to have the air gap in between, or you will still have ice damming, it will be slower. It may take 5-10 years, but the decking and rafters will be damaged, because the insulation against the underside of the decking is still warmer than the outside air temperature, And it will still pull water in towards the warmer side. But if you are having ice damming, you still have to fix the problem. Doing it with say only insulation without the air gap, or in putting in a new roof with only Ice N' Water underlayment, only just slows down..... Does not completely stop the water from coming in eventually. And when you change your roof, is when you can do a upgrade on the deck venting. There are screens and metal edge to easily make up the eave venting. But this is really the best fix.

[@jameschupp2230]

Here is a video that explains this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpWboa1_qplofJo

[@amandaluchtel5820]

I have recently heard that spray foam off gases toxic fumes. Is there another option to insulate the roof side of a knee wall? Like thick foam board? Also, should there be a rigid grooved piece between the insulation and the roof to provide proper ventilation and airflow?

[@eddieo9424]

What about heat cable on the roof

[@mikesantoro373]

no baffles? No conversation about soffit and ridge venting?

[@MichelJosephCardin]

Unless there has been an incredible amount of rain and freezing and rain and freezing and over and over and every house has the same issue as your house; then you are needing to reassess your system of isolation of insulated components’ perimeters and functionality being addressed in terms of the temperatures that are present and why they are as such. For one thing that is most crucial; your roof needs to be treated as just a shield that all it is supposed to be is just that; it needs to keep temperatures that change quickly with the outdoors temperatures and be the same degrees as much as possible. The vents that are installed at the tops of walls that don’t have a roof(usually end walls; as homes usually have roofing designs that follow lengthwise to the home); those are functioning as same as those black vents that are installed as to cover the central or more like the rest of area that the two end vents would not always be enough. Now heat rises and if you are the types that love heated homes to the max; you then need to insulate your top ceilings with extra R-value; 60 would then become 70 or so and depending on your quality of sealed walls and acoustic sealant’s correct application had been exercised; then heat may or may not end up being concentrated within the inside top of the outer walls structure; which would add to the following problem if it is present. If the insulation stops aren’t properly installed; where the air flow throughout all of the soffit area correctly and some areas end up stagnant of movement because you have accumulation of a constant pressure and thus the lesser of drag amounting towards it’s flowing of air to area ratio and may have disturbed at different times; The laying of the insulation shavings(particularly that of those of lighter products such as foams; if the compression isn’t yet established and wind storms were at hand and if soffit had yet to be installed and attic access (hatch) at times isn’t present during the build .......will continue on my Pc in a few minutes.Oh and I am a professional insulator and owned a company as for such for 15 or so years and know what should be in effectively drawn as to occur proper occurrences.

[@mist4926]

didn't they have problems with that foam causing mold or something.

[@elizabethetienne1595]

What if you don’t have an attic where the ice dams are forming. We have a loft like rustic home. Can the sick with salt work?

[@steelonius]

The sock with rock salt is an attempt to create a hole for drainage once the ice dam has already started forming. Place them at intervals along the roof. Depending on the type of ice melt it could possibly cause corrosion or staining and isn't advised for every time there is a major snow event. It is an effort to fix a problem that has developed. To prevent the problem you need to either shovel, use heat tape at the roof edges, build a roof that sheds snow well, or come up with a system to keep the roof cold so it doesn't melt the snow.

[@douggrant4008]

My situation is the angle of the sun that heats the roof from outside. Insulation does not prevent my situation.

[@philkraus7096]

same

[@jameschupp2230]

The only way to stop the ice dam, is to tear off the shingle roof down to the decking, install at least a 1x4 over each rafter and then decking over the top allowing outside cold air to come up through a screen at the eave edge and vent out at the top with a ridge vent. Use Self-Adhering Ice N' water underlayment on the bottom 8 foot, and finish with a heavy synthetic underlayment. And then reshingle. With the decking cold the ice and snow will not melt / Leak into the house. Another benefit is that in the summer, the attic will also stay cooler as well.

[@douggrant4008]

I had work done on my soffits late last fall and it was found that an area that should have been open to allow circulation had been blocked off not allowing the cold air to circulate in that part of the eves and not allowing the roof turbines to do their job pulling the cold air through the vents under the eves. This seems to have solved the problem. Not absolutely certain because last year we had a ton of snow and this winter, not much. I did start using a roof rake last year.

[@jameschupp2230]

@@douggrant4008 Yea, snow in large amounts actually acts like insulation, R Value of 1 per inch. So a pile of snow on the roof starts the ice damming. Getting it off is important if your attic isn't cool enough.

[@stevepaccioretti8775]

How does that effect your shingles with heat there isn't air circulating in the attic to help cool the shingles ?

[@aquariuswithfire]

None of this matters when the sun melts the snow and it fills the gutters and downspouts with ice....

[@inTruthbyGrace]

but.... the salt trick WILL melt a path.... just remember to attach a string long enough to retrieve the sock!

[@scottconcertman3423]

Just plug in your heat tape you ran along roof line few years ago to prevent winter ice damage. You didn't what now? Ok then... Downspouts free themselves from Ice and remain open enough to begin draining melting ice dam even if entire gutter still frozen. Moving water and gravity then continues to erode any remaining ice within downspout. If ice is blocking lower half of downspout, flowing water forced to Escape through any seam where separate portions of downspout segments fit together. Unless entire length of downspout is all one piece. Then only exit for melting water is where Gutter and downspout inserted together. Just make sure to keep ground level downspout free of ice the best you can. Or detach lower elbow piece at ground level where inserted into length of downspout running alongside building. Usually held by two screws or two rivets. Just make sure to reinstall elbow and any downspout extension in order to allow meltwater to Flow Away from Foundation.

[@scottconcertman3423]

Sorry@SZ, actually it was meant as a joke. But also included facts as we have over a dozen friends relatives and fellow workers all going through exact same thing this very moment here in Chicago. Continue to have faith in the actions that you are taking and never give up. I'm confident you will see results from your labor soon enough. Compared to others deciding to do nothing at all and let nature take its course. Have you looked into the roof rake products which could be used as an extension tool in order to properly place or relocate tubes filled with salt. Securing a video camera to the rake extension or asking someone with A drone might be helpful as well. No doubt my comment wasn't very helpful 2 viewers such as yourself. I just hope something I included helps after learning several of those facts from Real World experience. Along with what homeowners insurance agents suggested in how to proceed after policyholders began suffering ceiling and interior wall damage from increasing number of leaks. As a cultural historian I've noted how following observation holds true. In that it takes just long enough for people to forget previous lessons similar past event had already taught us. See back during the blizzard of 79 record snow drifting resulted in hundreds of garage roofs collapsing along with thousands of pitched and flat roof failures resulting from Ice dams. That's when many people said never again by having heating elements installed as a preventive measure. Now here we are in the present finding out many had never kept up with maintenance including folks having since then purchased buildings. Of course most Roofing had been replaced at least once since then and after ripping out system never thought to replace. But that severe winter and resulting damage never left my mind. So right after that first heavy snow event I began suggesting building owners take preventative action by either purchasing a snow rake or have professionals come out and relieve roofs from accumulating drifted snow pack. Good luck and most of all be safe. It would also be helpful to include update sharing and results how's your experience with viewers facing similar situation in the upcoming years.

[@cleatusbarncoat8642]

I read somewhere about the importance of save socks. Now I know why.

[@inTruthbyGrace]

yes but just remember to tie a sting long enough to retrieve the sock so you won't have to fish it out of the gutter or off the roof :)

[@tylerpartridge6305]

calcium chloride not rick salt

[@ryank4]

I just replaced my roof and blew in insulation and I still get ice dams, I went so far as to install heated cord on my roof and that helped. It sure is a pain!

[@bhein57]

Check for improper ventilation. Insulation only does so much. You actually want your attic vented and cold as long as it's not a conditioned space.

[@bhein57]

Do you have ridge, soffit, or gable vents?

[@augustreil]

Vent, vent and more vents just like bhein57 said.

[@oinn8003]

AFrame homes are the best for winter

[@markfornefeld299]

It’s like feeling fish scales or scales on a snake it feels fine going one way but it feels rough going the other way

[@lostintime8651]

damn Ice dams!!

[@xaelee]

I enjoyed the video! The final solution however did not sit well with me. Sealing your roof with make it harder for future roof replacements, damage repairs and potential leaks. A lot of your roof's health can be seen from the inside of the attic. I would personally advise against that solution, however I understand that it is an extreme solution for those who refuse to follow option #1.

[@dfmn979]

Andy Lee you are never going to get rid of air leaks if you don’t seal it. If your goal is not to get rid of air leaks you are doing your self no favors.

[@larrycrookshanks9091]

Never use rock salt on a house with aluminum flashing. This will burn a hole in the gutter or worse the back saddle on a chimney. Use calcium chloride only.

[@jameslawlor1404]

Larry Crookshanks That will ruin your shingles though.

[@SharpEdgeStandardOfficial]

Not insulation AIR SEALING off the living space from the attic and then worry about insulation

[@jameschupp2230]

Yes, but the only way to stop the ice dam, is to tear off the shingle roof down to the decking, install at least a 1x4 over each rafter and then decking over the top allowing outside cold air to come up through a screen at the eave edge and vent out at the top with a ridge vent. Use Self-Adhering Ice N' water underlayment on the bottom 8 foot, and finish with a heavy synthetic underlayment. And then reshingle. With the decking cold the ice and snow will not melt / Leak into the house. Another benefit is that in the summer, the attic will also stay cooler as well.

[@deniseview4253]

Thanks for the info. I've been in this house starting in my 4th year. Never had a problem with ice build up til this year. I'm more then 1/2 way paying this place off. I have so much damage on top of damage that was done b4 I bought the place. I'm having water run inside my house around the Windows. So, you know it's in the walls. What can I do on a limited income?? Help please.

[@augustreil]

Soffit and ridge vents should cost less than 1500.00 on a 1500 square ft house.

[@jameschupp2230]

The only way to stop the ice dam, is to tear off the shingle roof down to the decking, install at least a 1x4 over each rafter and then decking over the top allowing outside cold air to come up through a screen at the eave edge and vent out at the top with a ridge vent. Use Self-Adhering Ice N' water underlayment on the bottom 8 foot, and finish with a heavy synthetic underlayment. And then reshingle. With the decking cold the ice and snow will not melt / Leak into the house. Another benefit is that in the summer, the attic will also stay cooler as well.

[@deniseview4253]

@@jameschupp2230 Thank you for your help.

[@conradramakers8626]

How can you prevent the water from melting snow sun-side leaking down and forming ice dams?

[@cmckinnonr]

Ice dam heat tape

[@augustreil]

Insulation and lots of attic ventilation. Soffit vents, a lot of them, ridge and gable vents.

[@sevencostanza3931]

Guessing a metal roof would not have this problem cause the ice cannot life the large metal sheath boards ???

[@CapitalWheeler]

Why does the water at the ridge melt?

[@mnmurph]

Sun

[@arctichare8185]

@@mnmurph Sun PLUS rising heat from inside the house.

[@jameschupp2230]

The only way to stop the ice dam, is to tear off the shingle roof down to the decking, install at least a 1x4 over each rafter and then decking over the top allowing outside cold air to come up through a screen at the eave edge and vent out at the top with a ridge vent. Use Self-Adhering Ice N' water underlayment on the bottom 8 foot, and finish with a heavy synthetic underlayment. And then reshingle. With the decking cold the ice and snow will not melt / Leak into the house. Another benefit is that in the summer, the attic will also stay cooler as well.

[@lengoulet9416]

Is that like adding an additional roof with a gap to promote air flow

[@jameschupp2230]

@@lengoulet9416 That is correct. So the underside of the upper roof deck is the same outside air temperature, instead of the warmer attic during the winter. This prevents the snow melting / freezing... It is an expensive way though.

[@robertmontgomery7158]

Air sealing the living space is more important than R value. Of course a sealed home needs fresh air by using an ERV or HRV.

[@ZweerinkGraphic]

I have a small attic space right where I have an eye stem that's been causing me problems with the window you saw my tiktok. I have yet to go in there and check out what it looks like for a small attic space would you suggest a bat just tacked onto the roof put in those open spots or would you suggest spray foam

[@jameslawlor1404]

I use black cheap walmart nylons and rock salt. 50 cents for nylons and $7 for water softener rock salt, good for the entire winter..

[@jameslawlor1404]

John Prinos Lay it right on the ice dam itself.

[@donaldwhite7536]

This is the most effective, cheapest, easiest solution by far. I’ve done this and it works! Only problem is if you cant heave the stocking filled with ice melt up onto the roof.

[@mnmurph]

Does it stain? Or, it's residue a problem?

[@jameslawlor1404]

Levi Murphy You see some salt residue until the first rain

[@keith24693]

I thought the ice and water shield is a waterproof

[@seanmc133able]

I love you Tommy!

[@brandon5588]

They know alot about ice, but whoever installed those shingles gets a big "F" for failure, due to incorrect nail placement, and shingles were incorrectly placed on the nail line instead of the bump line... surprisingly, nothing was ever mentioned about the disaster it was gonna have from not just the ice dams, but the slop, careless workmanship on the install.

[@SpiritBear12]

Well, for one thing, it was a quickly built model. However, you're right, the shingles were nailed down incorrectly and that was not mentioned.

[@bobwhelk2118]

Spray foaming rafters not a good idea- if there’s ever a leak - you’ll only find out after severe rotting has set in

[@kurt7911]

Shingles are over exposed

[@66mariob]

Move to the Key's

[@joshuaguenin9507]

Too windy....

[@thomasasix1884]

You run in the different problem, hurricane will blow your singles away, lol.

[@victoryfirst2878]

Not so fast Tom Silva on using spray insulation between your joyce. When the roof leaks you will never know till it is to late. Also, spray foams roughly one plus percent will make formaldehyde retained toxin.. Then you have to tear out all that junk. WIll pass for sure with that idea fella.

[@scottrhoads1500]

If your gonna do this, might as well not put underlayment.

[@jumpstartt249]

I came to find tips on ice dam removal and I found the demonstration with terribly installed shingles smh...

[@bquedenfeld]

I thought you should insulate roof rafters

[@jameschupp2230]

The only way to stop the ice dam, is to tear off the shingle roof down to the decking, install at least a 1x4 over each rafter and then decking over the top allowing outside cold air to come up through a screen at the eave edge and vent out at the top with a ridge vent. Use Self-Adhering Ice N' water underlayment on the bottom 8 foot, and finish with a heavy synthetic underlayment. And then reshingle. With the decking cold the ice and snow will not melt / Leak into the house. Another benefit is that in the summer, the attic will also stay cooler as well.

[@yaosio]

RLM watched a video about this shot by a multinational insurance company on some random agent's camcorder in the 90's.

[@Batman-nf4nn]

The best way to prevent ice dams is move to Florida !! We do not get snow here nor ice dams !! 😂😂😂

[@geoffoutdoors]

Gutters are the problem. They cause ice dams. Seasonal retractable/folding gutters are the only answer.

[@steelonius]

We had ice dams form along an entire side of our house that has no gutters. Drip edge only.

[@LandonRoy-cv9rt]

This is COMPLETELY WRONG!! Ice dams are due to inadequate/poor ventilation not insulation issues. Its not an easy fix ive gone in after other contractors have pumped 24" of blown insulation and the ice dams still persisted. Iso-vents must be installed between the trusses (and installed properly), the sofitting must be checked to ensure proper outside air volume intake and there roof must have the proper roof vents ( determine ceiling sq footage and roof pitch to determine attic CUBIC footage. And pleaase make sure if you ever get your roof shingled that the contractor uses ice/water shield around the eaves, all edges, around vent and hils and ridges. Follow all these rules and i dont care if the homes 200yrs old you wont have an issue

[@tkjazzer]

What about millennials who don't like foam / petroleum products / plastics?

[@steelonius]

Wool insulation

[@jza80king]

Move to Florida. No ice dam. Problem solved

[@xx1352]

lol

[@megalodan5684]

how about just removing the gutters?

[@Uaglius]

If you want water to infiltrate your house by every nook and cranny and have a moat around your house then go ahead lol

[@jameschupp2230]

The only way to stop the ice dam, is to tear off the shingle roof down to the decking, install at least a 1x4 over each rafter and then decking over the top allowing outside cold air to come up through a screen at the eave edge and vent out at the top with a ridge vent. Use Self-Adhering Ice N' water underlayment on the bottom 8 foot, and finish with a heavy synthetic underlayment. And then reshingle. With the decking cold the ice and snow will not melt / Leak into the house. Another benefit is that in the summer, the attic will also stay cooler as well.

[@steelonius]

We had ice damns and large icicles form on a full side of our house with no gutters. Asphalt shingles and drip edge only.

[@mrsullyrox]

bad advise

[@Erix7810]

advice*

[@augustreil]

How so ??

[@danyala.1659]

Never EVER spray foam you house.

[@skreech01]

why ?

[@RubbinRobbin]

Official fr0d it may not be suitable to sustain the chemical reaction during installation and can ruin your home. If you decide to spray foam it make sure the installers make a caveat in their warranty for bad installs.

[@jeffreyrichardson]

fifty five thousand scott mike doug get aroused and jodys hundred grand