#minnesotainsulation

Living in the Midwest has many perks. We get to experience the refreshing spring season with budding flowers and rain showers, summer with sunshine and warmth, the beautiful color changes of fall, and then of course, the freezing winters. While every season has positive aspects to it, winter brings numerous concerns to homeowners: one of those is the dreaded ice dams.  Unfortunately, in Minnesota and other areas with similar seasons, ice dams are bound to happen. There are solutions! Various ice dam prevention products are on the market. Read on to learn about what product may be right for your home.

Before we begin giving the details of how to avoid these, let’s start with the low down on what ice dams are and how the happen. Ice dams are the humps of ice that you may see along the edge of a roof during winter. Ice dams occur when there is snow on a Bloomington roof and heat from the inside of the house and attic rises and melts a layer of snow. The water from the melted snow runs down along the roof and reaches the eaves (which are the edges of the roof). The eaves are unheated since they extend out beyond the home. This causes the water to refreeze at the eaves. This process continues to happen: heat escapes from home, melts the snow, runs down and refreezes. The result: ice dams and possible water leakage from your Bloomington roof into a home.

The main cause of ice dams is lack of proper attic insulation and roof ventilation. By improving both of these, your home can become ice-dam free! If only it was that easy. Spending the big bucks to do both may not be an option; learn about a few options for ice dam prevention.

1) Metal Ice Belt Roof Panels: This prevention product is installed at the edge of the roof, also known as the eaves. These panels are about 3’ to 4’ by 2.5’-3’. They are thin gauge aluminum. The purpose of these ice belts is to shed ice and snow off. The metal also prevents leaking.

Cost: $30-$40/linear foot of eave, the second is about $45-$60

Pros: These belts are about the same price as heat cables, but you don’t need an electrician and there are no ongoing electricity expenses.

Cons: If you have an older roof, a full roof replacement is recommended before installing these.

2) Roof Edge Heating Cables: The name of this product is pretty self explanatory. These are heating cables that you can purchase from any major home improvement store. They are installed on the roof eaves typically in a zig-zag pattern.

Cost: $60-$90 per 100 feet of cable

Pros: The heat helps prevent ice dams from forming.

Cons: The heat from these cables may not clear the entire eave, meaning that the problem can continue.  It is also an ongoing electrical expense, so be prepared to see your electricity bill higher during the winter months. Since these are an electrical product, set aside some money to hire an electrician and roofer for installation.

3) Calcium Chloride Ice Melt: As the winter begins, keep an eye on your roof and throw this on the eaves if you suspect a buildup may be starting. Be sure not to use regular ice melt! This can damage plants, paint, and metal beneath the eaves where the water will drain.

Pros: Readily available and low cost

Cons: Depending on how many stories your home is, throwing ice melt on your roof eaves may be difficult and not recommended due to safety concerns.

4) Ice Dam Socks: Buy some nylon stockings and fill them with calcium chloride ice melt. Lay them across your eaves to help melt ice buildup.

Pros: Immediate, cheap, and easy solution

Cons: Not a lasting solution to ice dams

Adding or replacing insulation in your Minnesota provides numerous benefits. It helps keep your home warm in the winter and cooler in the summer, eliminates drafts, plus increases the value of your home! By adding insulation and sealing air leaks, you could cut as much as 40% from your energy bill according to CenterPoint Energy. As your home ages, the need for more insulation or a full replacement becomes more and more likely. If you are thinking that your home may need an insulation update, read about some areas that a home benefits from adding or replacing insulation.

When hearing the word “insulation”, many people immediately think of the attic space. This area is one of the most important areas to insulate in a home. Because heat rises, attic insulation acts as a barrier by not allowing the air to go straight to the outside. Proper attic insulation also helps bring ceiling temperature close to room temperature. This allows a more even temperature distribution throughout your home.

Basements and crawlspaces are another area that is important for insulation. In older homes, these areas were not insulated because it was not seen as something that would help home energy efficiency. However, properly insulating these spaces prevents cold air, moisture, or dirt from coming up through floorboards. If you suspect that they may not be insulated, give a professional like Snap Construction a call for a free inspection.

Wall insulation is important to help prevent the outside temperatures from entering your home. It helps keep your home cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. Insulated walls also help lower the passage of noise in between each room.

Start with these areas to improve your energy efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint. For a home energy efficiency inspection, call Snap Construction. We can take a look at insulation and what your home needs to be better insulated for the seasons to come. It is important to have a proper installation of insulation. Snap Construction is BPI Certified and can bring your home back to the best energy efficiency possible.

Snap Construction can also provide a free Bloomington roofing inspection; provide services like roofing, siding, windows, doors, decking, storm damage, and more!