ConstructionDeal.com Update

Throughout the long winter, snow will fall and ice will form. And temperatures will warm up and melt a lot of the snow and ice on your roof. This can cause some problems.

If you own a home in a snowy region of the country, you need to be concerned about ice dams forming on your roof. An ice dam can allow a lot of water and moisture to work its way up through your roof and into your attic where it can cause a lot of damage.

What is an Ice Dam?
An ice dam forms on a roof that is covered with snow. Temperature changes between the inside attic and the air outside can cause one to form. When warmer air from inside the home cause snow to melt, it pushed the water down to a lower and cooler part of the roof. This water re-freezes and forms the ice dam. As more water melts and collects above the ice dam, it can get pushed back under the shingles and through the roof. This water can cause damage to your ceilings, mold, and wood rot.

Is there an Ice Dam Solution?
The trick to stop ice dams from forming is to eliminate that change in temperature that's rising up from inside your home to your roof. The warm air that is melting your snow is coming most likely from heat rising up through a poorly insulated ceiling, through lighting fixtures, or through heating ducts in your attic. Chimneys and stove or dryer vents can also create heat needed to melt snow.

You can go up to your roof and remove the snow every time it falls and accumulated on your roof. But this is a temporary fix.

The key to solving the problem is sealing off the heat access to your attic and adding additional insulation. This prevents the hot air transfer that heats up your roof and melts the snow.

Should You Have Your Roof Inspected?
An insulation contractor can look at your roof to determine if you have the potential for ice dam damage or if there already is a problem.

By allowing moisture and water to get into your attic, you're allowing the wood structures to start rotting which can weaken the structure and cause expensive damage. You're also creating the perfect environment for mold to grow and create toxic airborne particles that can harm your family. And water flowing into a home can easily accumulate on your ceilings causing leaks and damage to drywall, furniture and flooring down in your house.

And, if you do nee to add new insulation, you will also see a reduction in energy costs. It will take less energy to heat your home because of the protective barrier up in your attic that is preventing heat transfer. Whether you add loose-fill insulation, batt insulation or spray foam, you will be increasing the R-value (ie, resistance to heat loss.)

Ready to talk to a qualified insulation company? Get 4 quotes within minutes from our qualified contractors at no cost to you. Multiple quotes means you'll be getting the best price. It saves you time because you won't need to call insulation contractors, at random, from your phone books.

Don't let your ice dam problem eat into your bank account. Save your roof, save money on energy, and protect your health. Submit your request to find insulation contractors, for free, right now and there is no obligation.

Labels: Ice Dams, Insulation, Insulation Contractor, Roofing

I've discovered a neat little product you can install yourself to help protect your gutters. I was cleaning a ton of crap out of my gutters while I was installing my Christmas lights this year so I did some online snooping and found a company called GutterPlus. They've got a gutter system that doesn't require any nails or screws or any kind of add-on to your roof or gutters. It's a filter that keeps the leaves, branches, and even the snow and ice out while letting the water flow through and away from your house.

I didn't really think something like this would work, so I contacted the company owner to talk about it. Joe Iarussi had been installing, cleaning, and removing junk from gutters for over 30 years -- so he knows the type of product that would be needed to do the job. His company sells the Freedom Filter - a high quality gutter filtration system that will not get dislodged, not clog, and not wear out. He even put a 20-year warranty on it.

From the design, I could see it would work. But my concern was that the filter would eventually break down from being exposed to the elements (wind, rain, UV light, and all the problems that come with overexposure to water, like mold and fungus.) Joe explained it has a Biocide that is part of the material and kills the fungus and mold. It's also a fast-drying material and only retains a small percentage of moisture which limits any biological matter from forming. The fact that it allows water to move through quickly also prevents dangerous and heavy ice and icicles from forming on your gutters.

It's very important, number 1, to have gutters. Gutters help protect your home by channeling water away from the roof, siding, windows, and the foundation of your house. If rain runs off the roof and down into your foundation, it can weaken it or contribute to flooding in your basement.
And, number 2, if you have gutters they need to stay free of debris. If they are clogged and cannot move water away from your home, it's the same as not having any gutters at all.

Joe's Freedom Filter will help keep your gutters from clogging and he guarantees it. I'm going to be ordering my set very soon - it's just not safe to keep climbing up on a ladder every month to clean all the pine needles out of my gutters. Sooner or later, something bad could happen.

If you'd like to order your Freedom Filter, or you have any additional questions about it, give Joe a call at 216-319-1942 (email him at Joe (at) GutterPlus.com) or visit his website and check out his Frequently Asked Questions page.

If you need gutters installed first - you can go to our Gutters page and submit a request at no cost. We'll connect you with our network of Gutter Contractors - for free - and they should have no problem installing your Freedom Filter at the same time!

Labels: Gutters, Product Reviews, Roofing