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Seasonal Tips
| ICE DAMS: |
| To prevent ice dams, which
can lead to wood rot and damage to eaves, proper ventilation
is required. A well-ventilated attic will be colder and
less snow will melt off the roof and collect and freeze
again at the eaves.
Ideally, the amount of ventilation required
should be split evenly between the soffits and the peak.
The best possible ice dam prevention would be a continuous
soffit vent and a ridge vent. It's also important that
the course from the soffit vents up between the rafters
is free of insulation so that cool air can rise up to
the roof vents. |
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| WINDOW CONDENSATION: |
When condensation occurs between dual
pane windows that's a clear indication that the seals
have broken. The units with broken seals will need to
be replaced with new factory sealed ones. Check with
the dealer or manufacturer to see if your windows are
still under warranty. If not you could have the repair
done by a glass repair company. But if the windows are
already old, it is probably time to replace them with
new high thermal performance windows.
Inside condensation can be avoided
with installation of condensation-resistant windows,
That is, windows:
- filled with an inert gas that will
limit air convection,
- with low-emissivity coatings to
increase the glass temperature
- containing insulating spacers that
reduce heat transfer
- with non-conducting sashes and
frames
But other factors can also contribute
to inside condensation, which you may be able to easily
rectify:
- avoid using humidifiers
- only hang wet laundry outside and
make sure the dryer is vented outside
- don't dry firewood inside the house
- Produce less humidity - laundry,
showers and cooking without lids
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| SUMMER COOLING: |
 Overheating
in summer tends to occur more from unshaded west facing
windows and, to a lesser extent, east windows. Planting
deciduous trees to shade these windows may not be an
option or could take years to offer relief. Installation
of new technology windows may be the answer.
The number of glazing layers in a window will affect
solar gains. A triple-glazed window with ordinary glass
reduces solar gain by 20% and a double-glazed unit by
10% compared to a single-glazed window. Choosing double
or triple-glazed windows with tinted glass or special
insulating low-E coatings can reduce solar gains by
a further 20%. |
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