Snow on the Roof Can Show Energy Efficiency

Over and over, we are told about the importance of having an energy-efficient house and using insulation to help with this. Have you ever wondered how efficient your home is? One way to find out this winter is by checking your roof after a light snowfall.

Look at your roof in the morning before the sun has had the opportunity to melt any of it. What do you see? A perfectly blanketed home that looks like it’s out of the movies? If so, that is excellent. If the snow is evenly coated on your roof and still there, your attic is well and evenly insulated. Very little warmth is escaping to heat that snow.

Or do you see a roof with no snow or only some on one side and icicles hanging down? As pretty as icicles look, this scenario tends to mean that your home is insulated poorly. Warm air is escaping from your roof, causing the snow to melt. It then cools down and forms icicles. These icicles can then create ice dams, allowing water to enter the house through shingles. Therefore, not only is your home wasting energy, but it also is potentially damaging itself.

If your home’s insulation is not quite up to par, you can add more or contact a professional to help. Furthermore, we recommend that the best thing to ensure maximum efficiency is to have a complete Energy Efficiency Evaluation performed on your home. This way, you will know about all of your home’s leaks-not just in the attic.

Questions? Contact FLAME!

Source of Information

Energy Services Group, “What “SNOW ON THE ROOF” can tell you about a home’s insulation.”