Tracy Davidson

INSULATION:

Insulating your home is key to saving you money and reducing the amount of energy you use yearly.  As temperatures change it is important to understand the proper steps you need to take to keep your home comfortable.  Insulating your home is like dressing yourself for the weather.  As the weather changes year round you add or subtract clothing in order to adapt to the temperature and keep yourself comfortable. This same method applies to a home. Specifically during the winter months heat travels to cooler spaces like floors, windows and doors. Insulating ceilings, walls and floors will help to decrease the heating needed by providing a protective guard to the flow of heat.  Thermal insulation for homes is ideal as it allows the home to retain its heat during the winter while allowing a comfortable temperature during the summer. Finding insulation material with a lot of layers will help to decrease heat transfer, which will ultimately make your insulation more effective.

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/enefcosa/enefcosa_002.cfm

 http://www.ehow.com/how_5830772_keep-house-warm-during-winter.html

 http://homebuying.about.com/od/buyingahome/qt/92607_WinterHom.htm

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_01.html

ICE DAMING:

An ice dam is a problem of home and building maintenance that occurs after a heavy snowfall, followed by several days of freezing tempatures.  According to energystar.gov, Ice dams develop when warm air inside your home leaks into the attic and will warm the underside of the roof causing snow and ice on the roof to melt.  The melted water will drain along the roof, under the snow, until it reaches the cold overhang.  The overhang tends to be at the same temperature as the outdoors and the melted water will refreeze and form an ice dam and icicles. The ice dam can cause damage to the roof, which will result in water leaks to the inside.  Frequently the result will be a water spot on the ceiling under the roof damage.. 

This can also result in:

• A Leaking roof (height of the leak depends on the extent of the ice dam)
• Rotting timber.
• Stained or cracked plaster or drywall.
• Stained, blistered, or peeling paint. 
• Wet and ineffective insulation.

 With heavy snow and severe cold, almost any house is susceptible to an ice dam, whereas a house that is poorly insulated with attic bypasses will have ice dams during normal winter weather.  Giant icicles hanging from the eave are one indication of a poorly insulated attic with many attic bypasses.  Although high snow levels along with extreme cold weather is generally considered the highest potential risk conditions for ice dams to accumulate, standing snow is not even a prerequisite for ice dams to form. 

Energystar.gov recommends a checklist to follow if this occurs:

• Clean leaves and debris from gutters before the first snow, which will prevent ice build-up in gutters.
• Do not get on the roof to solve this problem.  This could be very dangerous.
• Avoid standing on the ground and “chipping away” at the ice.  This could cause damage to your roof, along with serious injury to the homeowner by falling ice, debris, or tools.
• Provide adequate attic ventilation so that the underside of the roof and outside air are at the same temperature.  Check to make sure the attic insulation is not blocking roof ventilation.
• Seal air leaks and sealing duct air leaks in your attic to stop warm air leakage (problem’s source)
• After sealing leaks, add additional insulation in your attic.
• Hire a contractor who is an energy specialist or specializes in air sealing to do an in-home evaluation.  A good specialist will use diagnostic equipment to evaluate the performance of your home and generate a customized list of improvements.
• Contacting a roofing contractor to fix your roof leak will not prevent future ice dams.

 While a permanent fix for ice dams usually requires increasing the insulation, sealing, and ventilation in the attic, there is a simple way to diminish the damage after the dam has formed.  Roy Barnhart, from This Old House, recommends that the homeowner should fill a leg of a discarded pair of panty hose with a calcium chloride ice-melt. Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter.  If necessary, use a long-handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position.   The calcium chloride will eventually melt through the snow and ice and create a channel for water to flow down into the gutters or off the roof.  

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_solutions.hm_improvement_icedams

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/skill-builder/0,,211604,00.html

INSURANCE:

Homeowner’s insurance coverage varies according to the company and specific policy. If damage can be prevented, most companies will not provide coverage. Homeowners should take the proper preventative steps provided by the Insurance Information Institute to protect their homes. Companies offer consumers more than one level of coverage. Standard, fire-only, and all-risk are some of the different types of policies.

Coverage Under All-Risk

• Exterior and interior damage caused by ice dams on roofs  
• May or may not cover the cost to thaw pipes
• Snow removal is not covered
• Coverage for spoiled food, damaged appliances, and shelter caused by loss of power
• May or may not cover condensation damage caused by lack of proper insulation

Coverage Under Standard

• Damage to the structure to your home
• Coverage for personal belongings
• Liability protection
• Living expenses in the event that you temporarily cannot live in the home

 It is in the homeowner’s best interest to check the specifics of their policy. 

 http://www.winterweather.state.mn.us/WHAH_HomeownerInsuranceCoverageWinter.asp

 http://www.iii.org/articles/Winter-weather-preparation.html