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July 2008

Ice barrier underlayments

Most homes in our area do not need an ice barrier underlayment, but before you replace your roof we advise you thoroughly discuss this "option" (some cities now mandatorily require ice barrier). Ice barrier underlayments are designed to help prevent leakage attributable to "ice damming". There are several factors including: width of soffit, pitch of roof, location and quantity of intake & exhaust ventilation, type of roofing material, amount of insulation in the attic, direction the roof faces, as well as other factors which can impact the potential for ice damming. Most important is the history of the roof. If you have an older home and never had ice damming problems you most likely do not need to incur the added cost of an ice barrier underlayment. However, that is not necessarily an assurance that the problem will never occur, because each winter factors may vary. We recommend you simply be aware that there are products & methods of installation available to address ice damming and recommend you discuss this topic thoroughly before replacing your roof.