Why Are There Lots of Icicles Around My House?

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Question from Nancy :

I like the site, I have a lot of icicles around my house, but other houses in my area do not seem to have this same issue. It looks like I get more and more each year.

I think this has something to do with heat escaping, but do not know if I need more insulation or a vent. I only have a bathroom vent.

How can I figure this out without costing me too much money?



Answer from Dave about the icicle problem:

Hi Nancy,

The problem boils down to two things. You keep your house really hot. The heat is rising into the attic and you have insufficient insulation.

This heat in turn causes the snow on your roof to melt and run down the roof. As soon as it clears the edge of the roof, the cold air turns it into ice causing the icicles that you see.

The bathroom vent's purpose is to reduce the amount of water vapor in the bathroom and keep mold and mildew to a minimum. The vent should be on a timer/motion sensor and run a brief amount of time AFTER you leave the bathroom.

Does the bathroom vent exit to the outside of the house? It should NEVER exit into the attic.

Check the attic insulation and seen how thick it is. Without knowing exactly where you are and the type of house you have in Canada, I am not able to tell you how much insulation you need. Typically, you use R30 to R40. The further North you are, the higher the number.

While you are in the attic, make sure there is no ice. IF you have moisture, it can form ice and cause additional damage. This is a sign of leaks around pipes and a lack of a vapor barrier. Anything rising from the living space should be plugged up to ensure no air flow from electrical outlets, plumbing fixtures, etc. Also if you have blown in insulation, it can shift from one side of the house to the other. The vapor barrier is under the insulation facing the living space.

By any chance have you added recessed lights? These are big problems if not insulated properly.

Vents are good. However, do not use power or turbine vents. Simple convection where the air enters low and vents out with higher vents work great. Power vents can cause real problems.

Hope this helps with your icicles. Let me know.

Response from Nancy:

Thank you. This was very helpful, except now I have another question.

I live alone and I am not able to get in to my attic on my own and do the checks you recommend. What kind of tradesperson should I get to check this for me? Could I trust an insulation company to be honest about what I need/do not need?

By the way, I do not keep the house really hot. So, I am thinking I must be losing a lot of heat through the attic.

Response from Dave about the icicles problem:

Air conditioning and heating contractors can do the work for you or can recommend people who can. Who installed you heating system? That would be a good place to start.

Talk to and get three estimates before doing anything. Run checks with the BBB and search online before calling anyone. Scam artists are everywhere, so be careful.

If one of them uses infrared technology or thermography, they can pinpoint the problem really fast from the ground. All they do is point the camera at the structure. A good insulation company can do the same test.

Ask for pictures of anything they find suspicious and get all estimates in writing as firm quotes.

Check for vents that are not functioning, covered, blocked, etc. Something is keeping the heat in the attic.

Good luck!

Response from Nancy:

Thank you again. I really appreciate your help with this.



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