Posts Tagged ‘thermal inspection’
Tuesday, December 20th, 2016
The Relationship Between Sunshine and Ice Dam Formation
Ice dams happen when there is a section of roof that is above freezing (32°) where roof snow melts which then drains to an area that is below freezing, usually the eaves, where it refreezes. The source of this temperature differential is usually the result of interior heat loss, specifically via air leaks and insulation issues. In fact, according to our experience, 95% of our client’s ice dam problems can be mitigated or eliminated altogether through the modification of the thermal characteristics of the home. Still, we see ice dams on certain homes for reasons outside the scope of it’s architectural deficiencies. Homes with what we might call nearly perfect air-sealing, insulation and ventilation still get ice dams. This Case Study describes such a situation.
The winter sun hits Minnesota homes (and all homes in this latitude) at a low angle during the winter. The result is that certain roof slopes never see direct sunlight while others get hit quite directly. The above illustration demonstrates an ice dam situation that relates to the heating effects of the sun. Solar radiation warms the roof slope on the dormer (1), the resulting melt water drains to an area of the home (2) that never sees direct sunshine where it refreezes to form an ice dam (3). These are particularly challenging ice dams to prevent. Often times heat tape, also known as heat cables, are the only affordable option.
To read more Case Studies click here.
Tags: about ice dams, best ice dam removal in minneapolis, best rated ice dam removal contractor, edina ice dam removal, edina ice dam steaming, highest rated ice dam removal company in minneapolis, how do I know I have ice dams, ice and snow removal, ice dam expert, ice dam heat cable, Ice dam heat tape, ice dam prevention, ice dam removal jerks, minneapolis ice dam removal, sunshine and ice dams, thermal characteristics and ice dam prevention, thermal imaging and ice dam identification, thermal inspection, twin cities ice dam remover, wayzata ice dam removal
Posted in Ice Dam Prevention, Ice Dams, Misc., Ice Dams: General Info | Comments Off on Sun and Ice Dams: Cause and Effect
Monday, December 12th, 2016
What Frost Melt Patterns Can Tell You About Your Home
Insulation and Ice Dams
At their most fundamental level, ice dams are the result of the interaction of heat loss and snow on your roof. An experienced Ice Dam Company Thermographer can use photos like these in conjunction with infrared imaging to see the weak points in your home’s thermal envelope. If you have a moment on the next frosty morning, take a few photos of your roof from a few angles before the sun hits it. Those photos may end up saving you time and money if you are hoping to fix the root cause of ice dams and home heating inefficiencies. Of course, ice dam prevention involves more than simple insulation job, but understanding the basics through frost pattern analysis, thermal imaging and a good site inspection is a great place to start.
To read more Case Studies click here.
Tags: about ice dams, best ice dam removal in minneapolis, best rated ice dam removal contractor, highest rated ice dam removal company in minneapolis, ice and snow removal, ice dam expert, ice dam removal jerks, minneapolis ice dam removal, thermal inspection, water damage
Posted in Ice Dam Prevention, Ice Dam Removal, Ice Dams, Misc., Ice Dams: General Info, Water Damage | Comments Off on Ice Dam Prevention: Go Thermal
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
Here is what a leak from an ice dam looks like.
Ice dams cause leaks in Minneapolis homes but not usually until later in the ice dam season. I received a call earlier today from a client in Edina with water pouring through her ceiling. The water was coming through a smoke detector (B) and soaking her floor. One interesting but not entirely surprising thing was that the water affected a much larger area than was obvious from below (also showed at location C). Slight cracking in the door frame also indicated water problems (B).
When I looked up I notice a ring of discoloration around the smoke detector (seen in photo, above). The thermal imager revealed a 6′ x 6′ area of wetness around the smoke detector. The client had a hard time understanding why the water had not shown in a larger area until I explained how her ceiling assembly worked. Because there was unconditioned space above the drywall there was also a code required vapor barrier, i.e, plastic sandwiched between the drywall and the ceiling framing. When the ice dam above caused water to back up and leak into the home it collected on top of the ceiling until it found the path of least resistance in the vapor barrier. In this case that was a smoke detector but it is often a light fixture, a vent or a seam in the plastic itself.
Ice dam removal in Edina
A quick look at the thermal image shows a large dark purple area (photo left, point B). This is wetness that has not yet manifested visually from below. It is damage nonetheless and should be repaired.
We take immense pride in being industry leaders in ice dam prevention, insulation and ice dam removal. There isn’t another ice dam removal company in town that has thermal imaging technology in-house or guys like Tom, who are certified geeks in all things relating to home performance technology.
Tags: ice dam removal jerks, Roof Leak, thermal inspection, water damage
Posted in Water Damage | Comments Off on Ice Dam Roof Leak in Minneapolis
