OT Roofs Leaking

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

You need a cricket on the high side of your skylight. Also, research your roof contractors. Most of them don't do flashing right at all.

Crickets aren't available in the winter, and cold shrinkage probably impacts your roofing contractors' flashing. Other than that, great advice.

 

[jleves]

I've been worried about a dust dam on my roof. We've been having Santa Ana winds and I think the dust may be building up on my roof. I'm thinking about getting a house broom to remove the extra dust. It could rain sometime this winter and that dust buildup could be a serious problem with water taking minutes to wash away the excess dust.

You guys seriously need to MOVE!

 

[tdrink]

In the short term, roof raking soon after the snowfalls is probably a good idea to reduce the size of ice dams.

Long term, see if you can get at the root causes of the ice damming, if you have the time/money/etc. The core of the problem is usually not at the roof level, but in the attic. This article plus the comments is useful information: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/prevent-ice-dams-air-sealing-and-insulation

This a very good article, but a little simplistic and makes it seem like solutions are easier to come by than reality allows for.

Most existing homes have issues that can't be 100% accommodated for. And the situations vary even on different sides of the same house.

4 years ago I worked on ice dams on two houses right next to each other, both with the same orientation. One had great insulation/venting, the other(because of cathedral ceilings) had inadequate insulation venting. That house had no ice dams on the south side because the sun and escaping heat melted everything off. The north side was a mess. The well insulated house was fine on the north because the snow wasn't melting at all, but on the south the sun melted the snow enough to start a drip during the day that froze up at night. The snow above that freeze would melt every day but the frozen water at the eave melted slower.

First piece of advice I give is that anywhere it's possible, get rid of your gutters. If you cant get rid of them put heat tape in them and down the downspout.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I've been worried about a dust dam on my roof. We've been having Santa Ana winds and I think the dust may be building up on my roof. I'm thinking about getting a house broom to remove the extra dust. It could rain sometime this winter and that dust buildup could be a serious problem with water taking minutes to wash away the excess dust.

You guys seriously need to MOVE!

Well, excess dust could ignite quickly and burn down your home during the monthly wildfire that hits SoCal or it could bury your alive when it all slides off the roof at the same time while you try to flee your home during the next big earthquake.

 

[sledog]

I am considering putting spray foam insulation into the roof rafters. Attic is 0 degrees in winter, and 120 in summer, but the foam would cap the attic temp at 10 more than the 2nd floor temp in summer /10 less in winter. Also remove any ice issues. Could be BS about the ice dams? Anyone have any experience with spray foam?

 

[The Funster]

I swear, I'm gonna rip the gutters off of my house. Go to Vermont or New Hampshire and they have no gutters for just this reason. Their houses might be on slabs or have dirt basements though. Still, I may just rip em all down in the spring.

 

[jibsey]

I wish there was a magic formula but each roof and house presents different scenarios. My wife wanted a light house so we got the skylights. Building new again, i don't put them in, but do a lot more of exterior window glass instead.

 

[tdrink]

I am considering putting spray foam insulation into the roof rafters. Attic is 0 degrees in winter, and 120 in summer, but the foam would cap the attic temp at 10 more than the 2nd floor temp in summer /10 less in winter. Also remove any ice issues. Could be BS about the ice dams? Anyone have any experience with spray foam?

Do you have insulation in the ceiling below the attic space? You only want one insulation perimeter. I've contracted spray foam and been on projects that have had it done. Most have had really good results, but one (not my responsibility,TG) ended up a disaster.

 

[tdrink]

I swear, I'm gonna rip the gutters off of my house. Go to Vermont or New Hampshire and they have no gutters for just this reason. Their houses might be on slabs or have dirt basements though. Still, I may just rip em all down in the spring.

You can put a gutter equivalent in the ground. Essentially a french drain at the splash line. Slightly sloped perf pipe covered with gravel. The gravel scatters the splash so you dont end up with a nasty mud splash on your foundation/watertable/first couple courses of siding.

 

[jdb50]

I wish there was a magic formula but each roof and house presents different scenarios. My wife wanted a light house so we got the skylights. Building new again, i don't put them in, but do a lot more of exterior window glass instead.

Skylights are "the mother of all leakers". Maybe people have another roof dumping water down on the roof with the skylight and it is damed and backing up under the shingles. Maybe heat is escaping from a poor insulation job around the skylight. If the skylight is step flashed correctly it should not leak in a rainstorm but with ice dams it is another matter. Open up the skylight all the way and lay pantyhose filled with salt or ice melt on the snow on the sides and bottom of the skylight. It is probably not possible to get anything right across the top of the skylight.

 

[sledog]

Yes - have min fiberglass sheets (50 yrs old?) on attic floor / 2nd floor ceiling. That will be removed. Attic is only ~6' high at the ridge beam - attic houses only the ac fans. The gable and roof vents would be sealed.

 

[jostar1]

On the radio they said to buy pure calcium chloride, put it in a nylon stocking and put it inside the gutter. That will melt ice dams.

 

[jostar1]

See info here from the State of Connecticut Insurance Department:

General Coverage Information for Winter Risks

http://www.ct.gov/cid/cwp/view.asp?Q=493512&A=3299

 

[sledog]

I've got a foor of ice over the N side gutter