This can't be good

[mrblotto]

Hey hey everyone!

Long time no see, eh? We've been pretty busy fixing up the 'new' old house the past few months. All of the painting has been done, floors are in, 90% of the doors are in, kitchen is mostly done, etc....... When it started snowing here a month ago or so, I noticed little icicles hanging off the gutters. Fast forward to today and I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Lets see if I can upload/link this image:

The gutters are full of ice and I'm guessing this is what started the icicles to grow.

Anyhow, that area where the soffet (sp?) is, there's an empty space. I ran some ethernet cable in there the other day from my computer room to the basement and noticed I can kinda see day light along that area, but there is some insulation on the inside walls and the 'floor' of that space.

Edit: I took more pictures because it's just easier lol:

OK I think that's all of em. No fun squeezing in between the ladder and the garage door track, and naturally my shirt got stuck on the way down leading to my flesh being pressed against a cold 35'ish degree aluminum ladder lol.

Now, like I said up above (I think), the lack of insulation where the soffet (sp?) is might be by design, but I'm thinking on the underside of the roof may need some attention.

Those 2 black tubes going up and in are the heating vent runs the HVAC company ran from the basement to the computer room. Originally there was no heat/ac up there at all.

We are getting a new roof this spring/summer. It'll be a metal one - lighter colored to reflect the summer sun. During winters here the sun rarely shines. I'm thinking the new roof goes right on top of the old one?

In the meantime, should I just be knocking these icicles off? I mean, they can't be lightweight!

Thank you all for your insight!
Blah-Toe

 

[Greenman]

So that sofit is open to the attic? What keeps the critters from making a home in there?

I don't know enough about building in frozen wastelands to help you with your frozen gutter question, but wide open sofits are a bad idea anywhere.

 

[deadlyapp]

I'm trying to figure this out also. The first picture makes it all look sealed, but the last one looks like there's just open joists? Is the covering just like a clear / slightly translucent plastic or something?

 

[herm0016]

First, make sure the gutters and downspouts are clear and flowing. Its not clear where the pics are from.

 

[mrblotto]

I'm trying to figure this out also. The first picture makes it all look sealed, but the last one looks like there's just open joists? Is the covering just like a clear / slightly translucent plastic or something?

Yeah it’s the crappy cell phone quality I guess lol.
There is soffet there, it just doesn’t look like it.
I’m wondering if I should put some insulation on it, or would nothing good come of it? I know air flow is important, and don’t wanna get mold and stuff

Evidently if I were to insulate the underside of the roof, it’s be best to put in some sort of egg carton material forms, then regular insulation on top of that. Apparently insulation right up against the roof is not good, as it could cause sweating/bad ju ju. The egg carton material forms keep a channel open for ventilation/air flow.

Maybe I’m jumping the gun? With a new roof getting installed, the roof people ‘should’ cut out a space for as ridge vent, as currently one does not exist

 

[deadlyapp]

Generally, there's no reason to insulate the soffit at the roof extension, because you would only insulate the area directly over the ceiling of the house (you're not insulating the attic, you're insulating the living space). However for your space, you have just an open ceiling plan in your garage it appears. Is that a conditioned space? If it isn't, I wouldn't worry about it that much, especially since your roof itself isn't insulated.

 

[mrblotto]

Generally, there's no reason to insulate the soffit at the roof extension, because you would only insulate the area directly over the ceiling of the house (you're not insulating the attic, you're insulating the living space). However for your space, you have just an open ceiling plan in your garage it appears. Is that a conditioned space? If it isn't, I wouldn't worry about it that much, especially since your roof itself isn't insulated.

The garage has no heat or AC. And there is no ceiling either. For now I'm gonna go out and knock down some icicles. It can only help the gutters from falling lol !

 

[Sukhoi]

First, make sure the gutters and downspouts are clear and flowing. Its not clear where the pics are from.

Yeah this seems like it might be more of a drainage than an insulation issue.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I am not a licensed contractor however I live in a cold climate and I need to do this with my home.
Gets something like this to keep the insulation off the eves and draw more ventilation it is basically a little air channel.

Owens Corning Raft-R-Mate 22-1/2 in. x 4 ft. Attic Insulation Rafter Baffle Proper Vents (10-Pieces) 70RM - The Home Depot

Owens Corning 's Raft-R-Mate attic vent is an extruded polystyrene foam vent designed to assure unrestricted airflow from the soffit to the ridge vent. Additionally, Raft-R-Mate attic vent has an optional

www.homedepot.com

second get something like this to keep critters out

Air Vent 2.85 in. x 96.25 in. Rectangular White Weather Resistant PVC Soffit Vent SV351WH - The Home Depot

Continuous Soffit Vents are a type of attic intake vent that make up half of a balanced attic ventilation system for each roof. Exhaust Vents make up the other half of the system. Together they help remove

www.homedepot.com

Or if it is only your garage, remove the gutters. Typically you don’t get ice without gutters.
As a short term fix get a roof rake and clean around one foot of snow off your roof after it snows but before it becomes ice.

 

[jmagg]

Yeah this seems like it might be more of a drainage than an insulation issue.

Generally, you want your soffits (and attic) to be as cold as the air outside. Heat loss from indoor heated spaces sometimes escapes from poorly insulated attic space and causes ice dams and icicles. In a non heated area, other than keeping the gutters and downspouts clear, youre at the mercy of temperature fluctuations. Not sure why a non heated area is insulated in this case, but the insulation looks pretty good.

 

[Sukhoi]

I just noticed all that wiring next to the ladder that needs to be secured in conduit. And the stuff running around the garage door.

 

[mindless1]

Unless you have crappy low quality (thin) gutters, or rotten wood, there should be no problem supporting the weight of ice in them, but of course if the icicles get very long, it is a good idea to break them off.

I wrote "no problem" but this comes down to whether they were installed properly or just the cheapest shorter nails possible in too few areas. The main thing is, if the gutter starts to pull away, get it fixed (fasten on better) asap instead of letting water run behind it and accelerate wood rot.

It is not necessarily a drainage issue if it is (was) cold enough that water is freezing. I mean you could have a drainage issue TOO, but it can be fairly normal for sun on a roof to increase temperature, melt snow and ice that then refreezes once off the warmer roof, in the gutters. Happens every winter here, till ambient temp is above freezing and they thaw out.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Unless you have crappy low quality (thin) gutters, or rotten wood, there should be no problem supporting the weight of ice in them, but of course if the icicles get very long, it is a good idea to break them off.

I wrote "no problem" but this comes down to whether they were installed properly or just the cheapest shorter nails possible in too few areas. The main thing is, if the gutter starts to pull away, get it fixed (fasten on better) asap instead of letting water run behind it and accelerate wood rot.

It is not necessarily a drainage issue if it is (was) cold enough that water is freezing. I mean you could have a drainage issue TOO, but it can be fairly normal for sun on a roof to increase temperature, melt snow and ice that then refreezes once off the warmer roof, in the gutters. Happens every winter here, till ambient temp is above freezing and they thaw out.

Problem is at least in my house is frozen gutters encourage ice damns, which encourage shingle damage and that encourages leaks.
I need to vent munch soffits I just have been lazy about it.
Roof raking it keeps it under control but it is a major hassle because if I am not home or it snows overnight then freezes it is a huge PIA to clear them.

 

[mrblotto]

I just noticed all that wiring next to the ladder that needs to be secured in conduit. And the stuff running around the garage door.

There was insulation only on the 'inside' wall of the garage. I put more on the 'outside' and 'garage door' side. Then I used......I forget what it's called...well, whatever sheets those are called. I re-attached the wiring to the outside of the wood sheets.
-The big grey-sheathed one is the main line coming from the box outside the garage
-The bare copper one is a ground wire? It's attached to a stake in the ground outside the garage
-Yellow stuff is cat5e run from the computer room to the basement (router,switch,modem area)
-The other ones are garage door opener , and existing old-timey romex for the existing lights and switches. I'm thinking they should be in some sort of conduit?

 

[mrblotto]

Unless you have crappy low quality (thin) gutters, or rotten wood, there should be no problem supporting the weight of ice in them, but of course if the icicles get very long, it is a good idea to break them off.

I wrote "no problem" but this comes down to whether they were installed properly or just the cheapest shorter nails possible in too few areas. The main thing is, if the gutter starts to pull away, get it fixed (fasten on better) asap instead of letting water run behind it and accelerate wood rot.

It is not necessarily a drainage issue if it is (was) cold enough that water is freezing. I mean you could have a drainage issue TOO, but it can be fairly normal for sun on a roof to increase temperature, melt snow and ice that then refreezes once off the warmer roof, in the gutters. Happens every winter here, till ambient temp is above freezing and they thaw out.

I believe the gutters are 'middle of the road' quality. They were installed last fall. Yes, the weather gets to below freezing here (it's like 29 now)
We dont get a lot of sun on this side of the house. Across the street is nothing but tall trees that effectively block most of the suns rays.
It has been above freezing the previous 2 or 3 days and all the ice is gone. I should go out and check the drainspouts. I'm sure they're covered under a bunch of snow. That def wont help drainage!

 

[Sukhoi]

Ah I didn't notice the yellow stuff was Ethernet - I see that now. Those wires are mostly what I was talking about. But if you want to do things right the 120 VAC to that light switch needs to be in conduit up to at least 7-8 ft off the ground per modern code. I don't remember the exact words but it's essentially anywhere you could damage the wire by hitting it with something it needs to be in conduit.

 

[mrblotto]

Ah I didn't notice the yellow stuff was Ethernet - I see that now. Those wires are mostly what I was talking about. But if you want to do things right the 120 VAC to that light switch needs to be in conduit up to at least 7-8 ft off the ground per modern code. I don't remember the exact words but it's essentially anywhere you could damage the wire by hitting it with something it needs to be in conduit.

Cool, thank you for the info. I have a couple pieces of metal (iron?) conduit from when I tore out the Jacuzzi (sp) that was on the back porch. That will do nicely

 

[Work360]

I think you should change the roof design as well as the materials for the roof.

 

[Sukhoi]

I think you should change the roof design as well as the materials for the roof.

Why? Do you have any products to recommend?