"Just moved into my first house last year, and we learned the hard way about ice dams near the chimney."
Yeah, chimneys can be sneaky spots for ice dams—seen it plenty of times. But honestly, it's not always just about extending the barrier. Sometimes ventilation issues or attic insulation play a bigger role than you'd think. Have you checked your attic insulation yet? Might be worth a peek... could save you from climbing up there too often in winter weather.
"Sometimes ventilation issues or attic insulation play a bigger role than you'd think."
Totally agree with this. When we moved into our current place, I thought the ice dams were just from poor shingle placement around the chimney. Spent a whole weekend up there adding extra ice barrier and sealing every tiny gap I could find. Felt pretty confident about it too... until the next snowfall hit and we had the same exact issue again. Talk about frustrating.
Turned out, after a bit more digging (and a lot of reading online), our attic insulation was way below recommended levels. The heat escaping from inside was melting snow on the roof, which then refroze near the chimney area because of temperature differences. Basically, the chimney acted like a magnet for ice dams because it was warmer than the surrounding roof surface.
Once we beefed up the attic insulation and improved ventilation, the problem pretty much disappeared. Haven't had to climb up there in winter since, thank goodness. So yeah, while extending your ice barrier under shingles is definitely helpful, don't underestimate how much proper insulation and ventilation can do to prevent ice dams in the first place. Might save you some headaches (and cold fingers) down the road.
Great point about insulation being a hidden culprit. I had a similar experience—thought my ice dams were all about shingles and flashing, but nope... attic ventilation was practically nonexistent. Added some ridge vents and soffit vents, and suddenly things improved big time. It's funny how we always assume it's the shingles first (I mean, they're right there, easy to blame lol), but the real issue is usually hiding underneath. Glad you got yours sorted without more winter roof adventures!
Ventilation definitely helps a ton, but honestly, sometimes shingles and flashing do deserve a little blame. I've seen roofs with decent ventilation still get ice dams because the ice barrier membrane wasn't extended far enough up the roofline. Code usually says 24 inches past the interior wall, but if you've got a low-pitch roof or heavy snowfall, going even further can save headaches later. Venting's great, but don't underestimate how much protection a properly placed ice barrier can add... learned that one the hard way myself.
Interesting points here—makes me wonder if I should've pushed my ice barrier a bit further up when we redid our roof last year. We stuck pretty close to code, but now I'm second-guessing myself, haha. Do you think it makes a noticeable difference if you're in an area with moderate snowfall, or is this mostly a concern for heavy snow zones? I'm always trying to balance doing things right against my budget constraints... roofing materials aren't exactly cheap these days. Also curious if anyone's noticed a big difference between brands or types of ice barrier membranes—are the pricier ones really worth it, or is it mostly marketing hype?
