We moved in to our lovely warm 1400 sf house in October. We hadn't spent one winter in it. I live in Canada where the winters can get cold on some days. ie-today is -30 celcius.
Our house is a storey and a half. On the top floor, there are 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. There is a heating vent on the outside wall of this bathroom that we are wondering might be causing a huge issue with ice damming on that same side of the house. Ice damming is ice built up on the edge of the roof about 7 inches deep as well as a great deal of icycles.
Last night it was extrememly cold and we kept hearing clunking sounds on our roof. Mostly this was heard on the side of the house where the ice damming is. very scary. They happenned about once every hour or two. It sounded like the house was falling apart. What could this be and what can we do to fix the ice damming temporarily and also permanently? Thanks
2007-01-12 04:33:23 · 4 answers · asked by stripedbook 5 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I had a storey and a half home in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio that had the same problem. First of all, try to break off the iciles and chip away as much ice as you can so that it doesn't damage your roof, facia or gutters (if you have them). We found these heated cords at the hardware store that you attach to the roof. You can have an electrician hardwire them or plug them into an GFCI outdoor plug. They heat up the roof along the edge to prevent ice building up. We had gutters and had to be sure they were cleaned out before the first snow fall to allow the water to drain freely through them.
The horrible, frightening sound you are hearing is the ice cracking and breaking as the roof heats up the ice from underneath.
2007-01-12 05:04:42 · answer #1 · answered by eskie lover 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like the vent coming through the wall of your bathroom is heating the underside of the eave of your roof, causing the ice to melt and resulting in icicles. It may be the ice on the roof cracking or icicles breaking off that is making the noise. In any case, it is most likely due to the vent from the bathroom.
For a temporary fix, you might get some flexible plastic ducting of the kind that is used in your attic between the furnace and the wall vents. Slip one end over your bathroom vent and fasten with a plastic tie wrap. Let the other end hang down the side of the house as far as practical. This will get the heat away from the roof and should solve your problem.
When you have more time and the weather is more agreeable, you should find some way to extend the vent beyond the roof line. You could either make a bend and go up through the roof, or go straight out past the roof line. Another possibility is to abandon that vent and install another vent straight up above the bathroom.
2007-01-12 14:04:10 · answer #2 · answered by Tech Dude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the exhaust vent in your bathroom is venting into the attic, I could be causing the ice build up. If this is the case, I would take the vent throught the roof and extend it above the roof far enough so that the moisture in the air doesn't just freeze and come right down on the roof. I would also check the thickness of the insulation on that side of the house.
As you are checking the insulation look at the rafters and see if they are cracking. If not don't worry about the cluncking noises, it may have just been ice falling.
2007-01-12 13:03:32 · answer #3 · answered by Rhett H 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If your home is newly constructed then you should have a warranty on the home. Call the builder back in. Ice damming is usually caused by too much heat loss into the attic. The noises could be the ice either expanding & contracting, or sliding off the roof.
If your home is new then there are flaws in the construction.
If you bought it on the resale market, then the previous owner may be liable if the ice daming is due to recent home improvements or renovations.
2007-01-12 14:48:33 · answer #4 · answered by No More 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋