Uncategorized
Back 40: Ice dams
Published
10 years agoon
By Dusty Daws STATE FARM INSURANCE
While springtime has officially arrived, most Montanans know all too well that we’ll still see freezing weather in the coming weeks. Ice dams can be a huge problem during the spring months, especially in vacation or second homes, which are often left unobserved or unmanaged.
Ice dams occur when the temperature in your attic is above freezing, causing snow on the roof to melt. When the snowmelt runs down the roof and hits the colder eaves it can freeze, especially if the outside temperature drops into the 20s. If this cycle repeats over several days (daily temperature swings are common in the spring), the freezing snowmelt builds up and forms a dam of ice.
Like all good functioning dams, water becomes trapped and creates ponds – except this time, the pond is on your roof. The settled water can then seep underneath the roof and into the attic or along exterior walls. This can cause wood rot and severe damage, and lead to costly repairs.
You can prevent ice dams by following these relatively simple steps:
• Prevent warm air infiltrating from downstairs into the attic by using appropriate insulation and a dehumidifier to control water vapor.
• Seal all openings that allow warm air to seep through the ceiling, especially fans and light fixtures that have multiple small holes.
• Provide good attic ventilation to replace warm air in the attic with cold air outside. Research shows keeping the air in the attic below freezing when the outside air is in the low 20s can prevent ice dams.
• Invest in a “roof rake,” a long broom that allows you to pull snow from your roof and prevent accumulation.
• Consult a professional for the best way to avoid ice dams at your home.
• Most importantly, confirm your home insurance covers water damage from ice dams.
Avoid the quick fix! If you’re like me, you’re thinking about taking matters into your own hands. Don’t drag your ladder out of the garage, climb up onto your snow and ice covered roof and start chipping away. Not only will you cause damage to your roof, you’ll put yourself at undue risk.
• Do not install large mechanical equipment or water heaters in the attics, these increase the temperature in your attic and are fire hazards.
• Do not use salt or calcium chloride to melt snow. These chemicals are corrosive and can damage gutters, downspouts, and flashing. Runoff laced with these chemicals can cause damage to nearby grass and plants as well.
• Keeping gutters clean will not necessarily prevent ice dams, but may keep them from overflowing and spilling rainwater next to the house.
Visit statefarm.com or call (406) 586-0084 for ice dam questions or to check about your insurance coverage.
Dusty Daws is a State Farm Agent in Bozeman, with more than seven years of insurance experience in the Big Sky and Bozeman market. A Bozeman native and former All-American for Montana State University’s football team, Daws serves southwest Montana, helping families recover from the unexpected and plan for their future.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
You may like
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Everyone is invited to join us in celebrating 2 years of arts education in the BASE Art Studio with us! Take a tour
Event Details
Everyone is invited to join us in celebrating 2 years of arts education in the BASE Art Studio with us! Take a tour of the studio, meet our instructors, and meet other artists of all levels in our community. We’ll be getting creative and you’ll have the chance to make your very own artful button pin.
Stick around for our Volunteer Appreciation and Social beginning at 6:30 p.m.!
Time
(Thursday) 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Location
BASE
285 Simkins Dr