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Ice Damns

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Keeping your Attic Cold in the Winter is important

One of the best ways to see if a home is properly insulated is the amount of snow on a roof.  The less snow on a roof the worse the insulation is, or the less cold air is getting in through vents.  Heat rises, as you heat your home the heat created by your heating system, eventually making it way into your attic.

As your attic gets warmer and warmer the snow on your roof can start to melt from the bottom up.  In some cases it won't melt all the way through to the top or water will start to work it's way down your roof into more snow. This water can refreeze, melt, refreeze over time and create an ice dam. New water won't have anywhere to go as it hits the dam and in some cases will start to leak back in your roof or into rooms if you have roofs directly over rooms in your home.

A good way to fight against ice dams is to make sure that cold air can get into your attic or that hot air can escape.  This can be done by properly insulating your attic, this will help to keep warm air in your home from traveling up into your attic.  You can also make sure that vents are allowing in cold air and allowing hot air to escape without warming the attic.

While it is odd to think that keeping a part of your home cold during the winter is important, this could help save you thousands of dollars in home repairs.
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