As you read in Part 1 of this article, the best way to prevent ice dams from forming on your Calgary roof is to seal your attic well and ensure it stays cold. That’s an essential first step, but it’s not the only thing you can do to keep your Calgary roof safe and dry this winter.

Insulate Your Calgary Roof

Not only should you seal your attic floor, you should also have at least 12 inches of insulation—fiberglass or cellulose—to further prevent heat transfer from your Calgary home’s living areas to the area underneath your roof. You can even add insulation to the attic ceiling, directly on the underside of your roof, so that any heat that does enter your attic won’t transfer through your roof and cause the snow to melt, leading to an ice dam at your colder roof edge.

Of course, an attic that was too well insulated would end up trapping heat and warming up enough to melt your rooftop snow eventually, which is why the third part of ice dam prevention every Calgary homeowner should know is…

Install Proper Roof/Soffit Vents to Protect Your Calgary Roof

Adding vents to an attic you just insulated might seem counterproductive, but proper vent placement allows you to control the flow of hot air out of your Calgary attic, while drawing cold air in. Vents placed by a Calgary roofing professional will help keep your attic cold and prevent ice dams from ever forming.

If you’ve been having trouble with ice dams on your Calgary home and would like us to check out your insulation and your venting situation, contact us to set up an appointment today.