roof heat coils

[american spirit]

no ridge vent, but there are soffet vents.

Originally Posted by stripersnipr

Are there ridge and soffet vents?

[stripersnipr]

Originally Posted by the_shocker

no ridge vent, but there are soffet vents.

I would lean towards three, in that case. Pretty easy to confirm though. Don't turn them on during this storm and keep an eye on it.

[american spirit]

thanks.

i know ice dams are a problem and may cause some leakage and wood rot. any recs on things i should do if there are ice dams. the coils seem like a bandaid for a larger problem if that is the case.

[Swimmer]

I would crawl over to the inside of the facia board inside the attic, lift up the insulation, and check for water stains on the wood, and the reverse side of the sheetrock. The go from there. No wtare stains, no problem, just old school.

[gone fishin]

My guess is that the roof was installed with out ice shield. The lower 3 or 4 feet or maybe less is susceptable(sp) to ice daming. If you get snow buildup and the heat from the house melts the snow the water will build up on the edge of the roof and freeze. It will slowly dam higher as the snow melts and will find its way into your house under the shingles. The water will come in between the wall and the outer siding or through your ceiling. The purpose for the heater wires is to provide a channel for the water drain off.

Do you also have gutters and heaters in the gutters? Usually they go hand in hand.

If someone installed them you can be sure that there is a definate problem and I would turn them on when the sun is on the roof and the snow is melting.

[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by gone fishin

My guess is that the roof was installed with out ice shield. The lower 3 or 4 feet or maybe less is susceptable(sp) to ice daming. If you get snow buildup and the heat from the house melts the snow the water will build up on the edge of the roof and freeze. It will slowly dam higher as the snow melts and will find its way into your house under the shingles. The water will come in between the wall and the outer siding or through your ceiling. The purpose for the heater wires is to provide a channel for the water drain off.

Do you also have gutters and heaters in the gutters? Usually they go hand in hand.

If someone installed them you can be sure that there is a definate problem and I would turn them on when the sun is on the roof and the snow is melting.

Exactly. The damming develops on the overhang, where there is no heat escaping though the roof. The snow above melts, trickles down and freezes, buiding the dam. It won't build up tonight, but not a bad idea to turn it on tomorrow, especially when the sun comes out and it's still below freezing.

[american spirit]

Originally Posted by gone fishin

My guess is that the roof was installed with out ice shield. The lower 3 or 4 feet or maybe less is susceptable(sp) to ice daming. If you get snow buildup and the heat from the house melts the snow the water will build up on the edge of the roof and freeze. It will slowly dam higher as the snow melts and will find its way into your house under the shingles. The water will come in between the wall and the outer siding or through your ceiling. The purpose for the heater wires is to provide a channel for the water drain off.

Do you also have gutters and heaters in the gutters? Usually they go hand in hand.

If someone installed them you can be sure that there is a definate problem and I would turn them on when the sun is on the roof and the snow is melting.

yeah, they put them in the gutters too. looks like i have a problem and need a new roof asap. do peopel do roofs in the winter if they time the weather right?

i also talked with an a guy who said if you use a snow rake and get the snow off the edge of the roof you won't have a problem. he said do that in the winter and get a new roof in the spring. any comments on that one?