One thing—if you ever need to run new wires or fix something up there, spray foam is a pain to cut through. Not impossible, just messy.
That’s the part that always gets me. I’ve seen folks go wild with the DIY foam kits, and it looks like a raccoon had a field day up there—sticky blobs everywhere. It seals, sure, but if you ever want to fish a wire or fix a leak, you’re in for a workout. I usually stick with caulk and weatherstripping unless the drafts are truly next-level. The pro foam jobs are tidy, but yeah, your wallet will feel it. Anyone else ever accidentally glued their gloves to a rafter? No? Just me...
That’s honestly my biggest hesitation with spray foam too. I get why people love it for sealing up drafts, but the idea of having to hack through a solid chunk of foam just to run a new cable makes me nervous. I’ve had better luck layering caulk and those adhesive-backed foam strips—less mess, and if I need to get back in there, it’s not a demolition job. The pro jobs do look sharp, but yeah, the price tag is wild. And you’re not alone on the glove thing... mine ended up stuck to a joist once, and I just left them there.
I hear you on the spray foam—once it’s in, it’s basically there for life. I’ve had to open up a couple walls in older buildings where someone went all-in with foam, and it was a nightmare fishing new wires through. For icy roofs, have you tried those heated cables? They’re not perfect, but in spots where insulation upgrades aren’t realistic, they’ve saved me from ice dam headaches. Curious if anyone’s found a less intrusive solution that actually works long-term...
For icy roofs, have you tried those heated cables? They’re not perfect, but in spots where insulation upgrades aren’t realistic, they’ve saved me from ice dam headaches.
I get the appeal of heated cables—my neighbor swears by them too—but I’ve always been a little hesitant. Maybe it’s just me, but running electricity up there feels like a band-aid more than a fix. Plus, I’ve heard stories about them failing after a few seasons or even causing shingle damage if they’re not installed just right. Anyone else run into that?
Here’s what I tried last winter when the ice dams got out of hand: I went the manual route with a roof rake. Not glamorous, and definitely not fun when it’s 10 degrees out, but it did help keep the snow load down along the eaves. Step-by-step, I’d just pull down what I could reach after every storm. It’s not a long-term solution, but at least there’s no wiring or permanent stuff to deal with later.
I also experimented with those calcium chloride “socks”—basically tubes you lay across the trouble spots. They melt channels through the ice so water can drain off. Mixed results, honestly. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they just made a mess on my walkway below.
I keep coming back to attic ventilation. My house is old (built in the 50s), so air leaks are everywhere. Last fall, I spent a weekend sealing up gaps around light fixtures and adding some extra vents up top. It wasn’t expensive—just some cans of spray foam (the kind you can remove if needed) and a couple new vent covers. This winter, way less ice buildup. Not perfect, but better than before.
If you’re stuck with what you’ve got insulation-wise, maybe try tweaking airflow first? It’s not as flashy as heated cables, but sometimes the low-tech stuff makes a difference. Just my two cents—curious if anyone else has had luck with ventilation tweaks over gadgets.
Heated cables always seemed like a shortcut to me too, but after last February’s ice dam fiasco, I caved and tried them on the north side. Honestly, they worked better than I expected—no leaks this year. That said, I’m with you on the ventilation front. When I sealed up my attic hatches and added a couple more vents, the difference was pretty noticeable. Still, I wouldn’t write off heated cables completely if you’re desperate... just double-check the install so you don’t fry your shingles.
