gtblum Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 All of the above and, GET RID OF THE GUTTERS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Jodi, This is ice dam central, here in western NY. The ice melt stockings work very well, but you will need to be vigilant and keep replacing them or the ice will return. If you get a significant melt and can put heat tape on the roof and in the gutter and downspout you should remain ice free until spring when you can make proper repairs. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Ah, "snow breaks" around here. Breaks up the big sheets on metal roofs when it starts sliding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Originally posted by gtblum All of the above and, GET RID OF THE GUTTERS. ??? Gutters have next to nothing to do with ice dams. It's a common misunderstanding of correlation and causation. They happen to occur at about the same place, but neither one causes the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Originally posted by Jim Morrison Originally posted by gtblum All of the above and, GET RID OF THE GUTTERS. ??? Gutters have next to nothing to do with ice dams. It's a common misunderstanding of correlation and causation. They happen to occur at about the same place, but neither one causes the other. I never said they caused it but, they sure do contribute to it.(in snow country) I'm pretty sure those ice loaded gutters in the pics are only adding to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Originally posted by Bain It probably violates everything you believe in, but your house might actually have to wear one of those lovely blue tarps until the temps warm up enough to allow you to correct whatever's wrong. Whoooaaa, awesome. I think I just heard faint echoes of your shriek. John, That is a good idea! I dont care if my house has flourescent green bubble wrap around it, as long as there is no leaks. Thats all Im concerned about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Originally posted by Les Jodi, First - a home inspector should not be living in a nice house like that! Second - Ice melter works better than salt. Salt will melt faster and the chemical stuff is not so sensitive to the water. Third - I have used the sock method many times, using my wife's panty hose legs. Fourth - I pretty much agree with the other learned brethern. Fifth - We call them snow dogs. Sixth - do something to get rid of water now and fix it later. Seventh - I likely would use ice cable and suffer the scorn of other inspectors. or "God put it there and he will take it away" What do you mean Les a HI should not live in a house like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Hi Jodi, I think he means we're supposed to live in run-down shacks. Have you ever seen a mechanic's car? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Jodi, After you have been around a couple of decades - you won't be living in such high syle! Of course there is Richard and his palace, Kurt with the landed gentry, Chad with fish ponds and blueberrys and sheep, etc. oh ya - Morrison somewhere on a hacinda in Mexico! Me? I now live in an empty washing machine box behind the Sears store. The wife and kids have the refridgerator box next to the dumpster. We are so poor that we can only afford a part-time dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Originally posted by Les Jodi, After you have been around a couple of decades - you won't be living in such high syle! Of course there is Richard and his palace, Kurt with the landed gentry, Chad with fish ponds and blueberrys and sheep, etc. oh ya - Morrison somewhere on a hacinda in Mexico! Me? I now live in an empty washing machine box behind the Sears store. The wife and kids have the refridgerator box next to the dumpster. We are so poor that we can only afford a part-time dog. You have a dumpster and a part time dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 High Style... haha.. Houses are cheap up here where it is 60 below zero... my house was a little over 100k ... not a bad deal for 4000 sq ft!!! I went to every store in town and no one has any heat tape, ice melter left or face masks...wtf? As if the snow, ice and frigid temps are a surprise? I have a plan... stay tuned.. I will post my results this evening... ps... my roofer is an effing idiot.. called him today.. he said he covered he soffit vents cuz they are necessary, that ice shield layer is the newest technology and wasnt around in 2006, and its just because we there is 4 feet of snow on my roof that theres water coming in (and now I have a water stain and wet drywall.) arrrggghhh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Originally posted by jodil High Style... haha.. Houses are cheap up here where it is 60 below zero... my house was a little over 100k ... not a bad deal for 4000 sq ft!!! I went to every store in town and no one has any heat tape, ice melter left or face masks...wtf? As if the snow, ice and frigid temps are a surprise? I have a plan... stay tuned.. I will post my results this evening... ps... my roofer is an effing idiot.. called him today.. he said he covered he soffit vents cuz they are necessary, that ice shield layer is the newest technology and wasnt around in 2006, and its just because we there is 4 feet of snow on my roof that theres water coming in (and now I have a water stain and wet drywall.) arrrggghhh... Yeah, but you can take solace knowing that if the effing roofer and all the other folks were better at their jobs, we likely wouldn't have ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 New technology, huh? I remember when I first saw the stuff talked about. I was in Germany in 1991 watching a taped replay of an old This Old House episode on AFNTV and Norm Abrahms and Rich T. were talking about what a great product it was. Yeah, 17 years later I guess it's a new product. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismoshier Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 I had the same problem with ice dams on my house. I use a coal stove and all the heat was going to the attic and melting the snow off the roof. I added insulation to the attic and made sure the roof was ventilating properly. I haven't had the problem since. Just an idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 WR Grace Ice and Water Shield has been around >25 years. http://www.graceathome.com/pages/roofing.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 In the Berkshires (western Massachusetts), a common way to deal with ice damming is to use sheet metal on the bottom 2-3 feet of a roof. Here's an interesting take on that - sheet metal with heating cable under it: Bylin Engineered Systems Les, keep in mind, your living situation does have its advantages. Your upkeep costs are practically nil (assuming people keep buying refrigerators from Sears). As for me ...... well, the wife keeps harping about needing a new kitchen. I don't see a thing wrong with the one we've got. It surely has stood the test of time. Why, just look at the range. I keep telling her, they don't make 'em like that anymore! Click to View 57.94 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Hi Joe, The Berkshires are in Western Mass but don't forget that they extend down into Connecticutt and eastern New York. My home town in New York is known as "The Gateway to the Bershires." ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Mike: Did they use that sheet metal technique in your area? The only place I've ever seen it is in western MA. The use of sheet metal may be dying out, as I typically only see it on older buildings. It seems to me that it would be very effective - more so than Ice and Water Shield. With the self-stick product, the water still gets under the shingles, which can't be good. I tried to find a decent picture (my vacations are usually a busman's holiday), but only found this, which I cropped from a much larger one. It was taken outside of Lee. Click to View 45.84 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 There are entire towns in northern Michigan with metal roof edges. Pretty common. They work. I'd be hard pressed to establish a real firm connection between iced gutters and ice dams. One does not necessarily cause the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Originally posted by Inspectorjoe Click to View 45.84 KB Now that's a refridgerator box. Anyone out there familiar ice belts? (Metal squares designed to spring back and break the ice.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Hi Joe, On the older houses we'd find tin or copper used along the eaves. My dad would use drip edging and a doubled-up layer of 60-minute paper along the eaves. We didn't have customers with any roof problems unless they were self-inflicted. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlord Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Snow birds are the folks that come down here and talk about stuff like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Originally posted by davidlord Snow birds are the folks that come down here and talk about stuff like that. Yes, it's good to see them come and it is good to see them go. The migration is always to look forward to.[:-hspin] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted January 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Well good and bad news. First off the ice melt in a pantyhose only worked on the ice that was a couple of inches.. The ice in and above my gutters was apprx. 18 inches thick... After shoveling TWICE, using a hammer to bash a 12 ft by 15 ft sheet of ice off, using a blow torch and a blow dryer, and pouring 80 lbs of ice melt on the gutter ice it finally cleared... After that I went to Minneapolis for some R & R and shopping to come back to another foot of snow, 22 below zero and my gutters had fallen off, and my ceiling in the dining room looking like a big blister hanging down. PLUS there were stains all over my bedroom ceiling (upstairs) went into the attic and it was 60 degrees, blown in insulation was SOAKED walls and roof decking were dripping and it was 85% humidity. We have ONE home improvement store here, there is still no heat tape, no powered attic fans.Not even shovels!!!.arggh... So I still had the old blower from my furnace and mounted it to the roof decking where a roof vent is and dragged a dehumidifer up and ran it for a week.. I also installed 2 gable vents...Homeowners insurance paid out 6k...thats a plus I guess. Heres some pics of the events... http://www.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery. ... =131546418 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Originally posted by jodil Well good and bad news. First off the ice melt in a pantyhose only worked on the ice that was a couple of inches.. The ice in and above my gutters was apprx. 18 inches thick... After shoveling TWICE, using a hammer to bash a 12 ft by 15 ft sheet of ice off, using a blow torch and a blow dryer, and pouring 80 lbs of ice melt on the gutter ice it finally cleared... After that I went to Minneapolis for some R & R and shopping to come back to another foot of snow, 22 below zero and my gutters had fallen off, and my ceiling in the dining room looking like a big blister hanging down. PLUS there were stains all over my bedroom ceiling (upstairs) went into the attic and it was 60 degrees, blown in insulation was SOAKED walls and roof decking were dripping and it was 85% humidity. We have ONE home improvement store here, there is still no heat tape, no powered attic fans.Not even shovels!!!.arggh... So I still had the old blower from my furnace and mounted it to the roof decking where a roof vent is and dragged a dehumidifer up and ran it for a week.. I also installed 2 gable vents...Homeowners insurance paid out 6k...thats a plus I guess. Heres some pics of the events... http://www.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery. ... =131546418 Nice slideshow. The furnace blower was a stroke of genius. I'm sorry you had to go through this. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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