Ice damn in gutters due to chimney heat?

Cate said:

Good heavens, I just noticed my typo in the topic name...sorry about that! I mean, it does make me want to swear, but how embarrassing!

Rudyjr - where did you get your block off plate - a fireplace store or somewhere like Lowes? Is that something I can install myself?

Thanks RenovationGeorge - is there a special insulation I could use for insulating the brick chimney inside the attic? I don't have, and never have had, any melt spots on the roof, so at least that's a good sign.

RPK1 - I'll definitely get pictures, probably this weekend since it's dark when I get home.

FirefighterJake - Where is the knee wall? I had insulation blown into the walls before the siding went on and have R19 (or higher, I think) in the attic over top of the old insulation...is there somewhere I've missed?

Thanks again everyone, you are just wonderful. From what I'm gathering it sounds like I have a ventilation problem since the roof is lacking a ridge vent. I'll post picture soon...

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On many Capes the second floor often has a sloped ceiling . . . a knee wall is a short wall (not the full height) . . . oftentimes the area is not accessible . . . or it may be used for storage. For example, in my home the front knee wall is about 4 feet high and is not accessible . . . this is where we ended up putting insulation. I found a few drawings on the internet to show you . . . we had little to no insulation on the floor in the knee wall area.

Cate, Is your attic construction similar to the above figures? If so, your attic insulation may be blocking the soffit (under the eave overhang) from venting properly. Assuming there soffit ventilation there? If the attic insulation is blocking the soffit vents then styro-foam chutes or proper-vents should be installed (very easy to do) to help ventilate the attic space.

RPK

RPK1 said:

Cate, Is your attic construction similar to the above figures? If so, your attic insulation may be blocking the soffit (under the eave overhang) from venting properly. Assuming there soffit ventilation there? If the attic insulation is blocking the soffit vents then styro-foam chutes or proper-vents should be installed (very easy to do) to help ventilate the attic space.

RPK

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+1 If it is properly insulated, IMHO next thing to check is proper ventilation, along with potentialy a BOP which if missing will help with the heat anyway by helping to eliminate heating the masonary mass and redirecting that heat into house.

before ridge vents became popular and possible with the plastic foam screen they put exit vents either at the gable ends or tube vents.

your roof should have the same amount of snow on it as the houses around you.


If you have less and your shingles are the same colour, then your attic is warmer.

Water running off a sun warmed melting snow roof and refreezing in the gutters can be normal, too.
At least a little bit. especially when more of the shingles start getting exposed to the sun.

I always have ice in the gutters of the house with the dark brown roof. Why I took the plastic gutters off and put seamless oversized commercial weight gutters this Summer. Got tired of the icicles hanging down and the ice problems.
My house has white shingles . Never has ice, nor icicles.