Ice Dam Prevention In Newmarket, Ontario
Ontario attic rebates up to $1,250 may applyIce dam prevention aims to hold the roof deck at outdoor temperature, so high snow stays frozen instead of melting and refreezing at the eaves. In practice that means sealing the ceiling, keeping soffit air moving and bringing the attic insulation to full depth.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice along the roof edge that holds back meltwater. Trapped water can work under the shingles and stain walls below. Heat cables and roof rakes deal with the ice, while ice dam prevention up in the attic deals with the heat behind it.
Ice Dam Prevention details
Why Ice Dams Form On Newmarket Roofs
York Region has long winters with plenty of snow, and roofs in Newmarket can wear a thick blanket for weeks. When house heat leaks into the attic, the upper roof climbs above freezing and the snow melts from underneath. The meltwater runs down to the overhang, which sits past the warm walls, and turns back to ice.
Each mild afternoon followed by a hard night adds another layer to that ridge. Ice dam prevention breaks the cycle by keeping the whole roof cold.
The Three Steps Of Ice Dam Prevention
Ice dam prevention opens with attic air sealing, because house air sneaking through the ceiling warms a roof more than anything else. Next comes a baffle at each rafter space along the eaves, giving outdoor air a clear path from the soffit vents to the underside of the roof deck.
Step three raises the attic floor to R-60 with an attic insulation top-up. Our two readings show the new depth, so you can see the heat is now kept down in the house.
Signs You Need Ice Dam Prevention
Thick icicles along one part of the gutter, water marks on the ceiling near an outside wall, and bare shingles high on the roof while the rest stays white all point to escaping heat and a need for ice dam prevention. White frost on nail tips inside the attic is one more clue.
Ice Dam Prevention Price
Ice dam prevention work typically costs $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot of ceiling for sealing, baffles and a top-up together. Where the attic is already deep and only needs sealing, the cost is usually $400 to $1,500.
Book An Ice Dam Prevention Check
Phone (289) 210-8352, and we will check the attic, vents and eaves and email a written ice dam prevention plan. More of our work is on the Newmarket attic insulation home page.
Jobs That Often Share The Same Visit
Sealing, the hatch and a top-up tend to share one install day, which spares you a second visit.
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Attic Insulation Top-Up
An attic insulation top-up keeps your existing fill and blows a fresh layer over it until the attic reads R-60. Our two depth readings record exactly how many inches went on.
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Cellulose Insulation
Cellulose insulation starts life as newsprint and cardboard, shredded and treated so it resists fire and pests, and we blow it across the attic floor as loose fill. Because it tucks in around wiring, nails and truss webs, cellulose insulation is the material we pick most often for older attics.
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Blown-In Fiberglass Attic Insulation
Blown-in fiberglass insulation arrives as fluffy spun glass that the hose lays down in a soft, even blanket. It will not soak up water, puts very little weight on the ceiling and holds its depth for years.
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Attic Insulation Removal And Replacement
Attic insulation removal clears out fill that is damp, mouldy, fouled by mice or squirrels, or crushed past saving. With the joists bare and the ceiling sealed, new attic insulation is blown back in to full depth.
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Attic Air Sealing
Attic air sealing shuts the small openings where heated house air pours up into the attic, with spray foam, caulk and fitted covers. We do it before any new attic insulation goes down, since insulation slows heat yet lets moving air straight through.
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Attic Hatch Insulation
Attic hatch insulation turns a thin, drafty access lid into part of the insulated ceiling. We gasket the frame and glue a thick stack of foam board onto the lid, so the hatch holds heat like the attic around it.
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Attic Insulation Rebate
A Newmarket owner whose thin attic is brought up to R-50 may qualify for an attic insulation rebate under Home Renovation Savings, the province-wide program run jointly by Save on Energy and Enbridge Gas. The thinner the attic was, the larger the attic insulation rebate.
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Attic Insulation Cost
Four things drive attic insulation cost in Newmarket: how big the attic is, which material you pick, how many inches are already up there, and whether a clear-out comes first. Most homes pay between $1,500 and $3,500.
Ask For A Free Attic Check
Name the job and the decade your house was built, then expect a call back with a time.
Request Your Free Attic Check
Two or three lines on the house and the cold spots upstairs let us bring the right gear.
You can also call us at +1 (289) 210-8352