JosephThomas Posted December 15, 2016 Report Share Posted December 15, 2016 Why isn't the house next to it melting away the same way then? Exposure and pitch looks the same to me... Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdabroxx Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 3 hours ago, shaneymack said: You're apparently a lot quicker than I am..... Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Maybe you've been spending too much time in that guys attic. hahaha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 42 minutes ago, xxdabroxx said: Maybe you've been spending too much time in that guys attic. hahaha Where's Mel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 They have come out of the "attic " in Colorado ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 3 hours ago, JosephThomas said: Why isn't the house next to it melting away the same way then? Exposure and pitch looks the same to me... Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Exactly. It's the "one of these things is not like the others" that calls the eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Why isn't the house next to it melting away the same way then? Exposure and pitch looks the same to me... Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Here is another pic of the house next to it. As you can see the side that is directly south facing is the same As you can see down the street, its quite common. Given the slope and height of these roofs it is very easy to tell ( with experience) it is not heat loss. If it were heat loss the snow would be melted at the bottom of the roof AND there is no way heat could melt the snow 16 feet up the slope.These attics are massive spaces with huge slopes which means excellent ventilation which keeps the attic at the same temp as outside, which today is -29F with the wind (-34c) . At these temperatures, it would be impossible to warm up the attic to any temperature that would cause this. It is common in houses with very low slopes. You can never fit enough insulation at the perimeter and often it was incorrectly installed and the isulation is touching the underside of the sheathing causing so much heat loss that there are ice damns. Again, impossible for this stlye roof. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 I've actually got an air handler located in my attic that handles my second floor, It was obviously a retrofit setup installed sometime in the past. I know it isn't the most efficient setup, and I can see the snow on that roof portion melt a little faster than others around, but so it goes. I do my best, I swapped out all our bulbs for LEDs, use a programmable thermostat, try not to be wasteful. Can't win every battle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan G Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Wow. Those are some huge houses. Whats the typical sqft on those? What R value are you guys putting in for attic insulation up there? Code in this part of MI is R49. My house, built in the 50's, is the perfect example of inadequate attic insulation and it's results. years ago someone did a poor job adding insulation to the attic. If I'm at R30 at its thickest I'd be surprised. On our house we have some roof pitches ranging from 3/12 to 8/12. Due to the recent heavy snowfall and very cold temps we already have ice dams and icicles forming on the roof line. The kids love the icicles but it's a sure sign of trouble. time for the roof rake already? Too early in the season for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassAct Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 My guesses are: * A contractor ran out of R-9000 and stuffed in old moose hides instead. * The teenage son watched some Youtube videos on recreational horticulture and built a (not-so) secret grow above the garage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 The snow collecting at the eave points to refreeze unless you have fixtures there to stop snow from leaving the roof. The attics are warmer than I like them with that pattern, even on 14-12. At 0°F. I would expect wind scouring to remove the snow at the eave and ridge evenly over a vented attic. I think I see ridge vent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 2 hours ago, Alan G said: Whats the typical sqft on those? Here we calculate square footage based on above ground living space only and without garage. I know this is different everywhere, thats why im mentioning it. Our houses range from 2300 fq ft up to 4000 sq ft. If you include their finished basements you can normally add atleast 1000-1500 sq ft. 2 hours ago, Alan G said: What R value are you guys putting in for attic insulation up there? Code is R40 and all my houses are done with cellulose. There is another certification called "Novoclimat" whcih is recommeded but not code (yet) and I believe that is R52. Every year code keeps getting closer to Novoclimat standards so I assume soon enough R52 will be code. 1 hour ago, C Shaffer said: The snow collecting at the eave points to refreeze unless you have fixtures there to stop snow from leaving the roof. The attics are warmer than I like them with that pattern, even on 14-12. At 0°F. I would expect wind scouring to remove the snow at the eave and ridge evenly over a vented attic. I think I see ridge vent? Well unfortunately I dont have access to his attic to check the temp. I can guarantee you that it is that same temp as outside. Would be hard to believe an attic that is -25C could cause the snow to melt off the roof and only on one of the slopes..... If that attic was warm enough to melt the snow like that the other slopes would be affected as well. Also, the snow that is left on the bottom of that roof is on an angle from one end to the other. It matches the shading angle caused by the adjacent house. The snow goes up around 4 ft on the far left to around one foot on the far right. To me, all signs point to this not being a hot spot. I believe it is wind, sun and slope all combined and has nothing to do with heat lost. The vents we use are maximum vents, never ridge vents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 2 hours ago, shaneymack said: The vents we use are maximum vents, never ridge vents. First, I have seen enough pics to respect your work and have never intended any critique. What I see would make me dig, that is all. Can you elaborate on what this means? Chimney style pod vents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 First, I have seen enough pics to respect your work and have never intended any critique. What I see would make me dig, that is all. Can you elaborate on what this means? Chimney style pod vents? Thanks, Carus. Here is the vent we use. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Thanks, Carus. Here is the vent we use. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Ah, right. A ridge vent would just get covered in snow... Living in California makes a lot of stuff simple, lol Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 16 minutes ago, JosephThomas said: Ah, right. A ridge vent would just get covered in snow... Living in California makes a lot of stuff simple, lol Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Ridge vents rarely to never get covered in snow being on the top of the roof they are blown clean from the wind, the snow falls from the weight, or melt like the roofs in the pictures above. Roofs and tar driveways always melt on sunny days do to the sun not escaping heat in the attic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 7 hours ago, shaneymack said: Given the slope and height of these roofs it is very easy to tell ( with experience) it is not heat loss. If it were heat loss the snow would be melted at the bottom of the roof AND there is no way heat could melt the snow 16 feet up the slope.These attics are massive spaces with huge slopes which means excellent ventilation which keeps the attic at the same temp as outside, which today is -29F with the wind (-34c) . At these temperatures, it would be impossible to warm up the attic to any temperature that would cause this. It is common in houses with very low slopes. You can never fit enough insulation at the perimeter and often it was incorrectly installed and the isulation is touching the underside of the sheathing causing so much heat loss that there are ice damns. Again, impossible for this stlye roof. For future readers, energy heel trusses allow sufficient insulation at low slopes. what about the roof in the background of the last pic? It looks fully covered. Is it a lower slope? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 For future readers, energy heel trusses allow sufficient insulation at low slopes. what about the roof in the background of the last pic? It looks fully covered. Is it a lower slope? At this point how about you just tell me? You seem to be good at diagnosing problems from thousands of miles away. I get it, there is a problem with all our houses according to you. You clearly think you are right and don't care about what I have to say about it. You should come take my job and I'll become a high school teacher.... Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 9 minutes ago, shaneymack said: At this point how about you just tell me? You seem to be good at diagnosing problems from thousands of miles away. I get it there is a problem with all our houses according to you. You clearly think you are right and don't care about what I have to say about it. You should come take my job and I'll become a high school teacher.... Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Dude, I am a digger and fixer. You made a few universal statements that I cannot support, but rather than call those out I asked the question. Patterns catch my eye and something that breaks the pattern catches even more. I'd hate a few questions to be the thing that interferes with community. I just saw a pattern breaker. I am looking at similar facing, no discernible shadow maker, full blanket, etc. I can only see what is in the pic. If I see it, someone else might also. Help us see what there is. The engagement so far has been good. I don't see that vent style around here. The trades obviously differ. Share what comes next or don't, but the digging for answers is what has always led me to success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Alan G Posted December 16, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Favorite breakfast food......Bacon, egg (2) and cheese on a toasted everything bagel. Egg can still be a touch runny...so good! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdabroxx Posted December 17, 2016 Report Share Posted December 17, 2016 What is this snow you speak of? In other news, I like the idea of adding heel height to trusses to get thick insulation to the edge of the roof. It isn't often implemented around here though. We usually do it to fake a secondary plate height. We get a code change this year that is pretty much requiring secondary insulation at the roof deck any time you have an hvac unit in the attic. It's kinda weird but makes a little sense at the same time. So we'll have R38 at the ceiling and R13 or 19 at the roof deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2016 3 hours ago, shaneymack said: You should come take my job and I'll become a high school teacher.... Teachers make a lot of money in America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted December 17, 2016 Report Share Posted December 17, 2016 going to be in the 80's F the next couple of days here. just thought all of you north of me might be jealous! what is this "snow" you speak of? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 17, 2016 Report Share Posted December 17, 2016 60's F here and some much needed rain. Even an inch of snow and this town comes to a screeching halt. The Yankees can drive in that weather but all the folks from south of the border not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2016 It's -4F here and snowing like crazy. It'll be cold all weekend, and melt by Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenskye Posted December 17, 2016 Report Share Posted December 17, 2016 23 minutes ago, Llama said: It's -4F here and snowing like crazy. It'll be cold all weekend, and melt by Monday. Always liked Colorado snow storms, it would snow hard enough to cancel school and then be sunny in the afternoon to play in. It was cold as heck the last couple days here, in the teens. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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