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For years now I have noticed an interesting phenomenon that I am not sure anyone else notices. It has to do with recognizing roof patterns in the winter. This is clear evidence that heat is escaping through your roof.
Head down the block and check out your roof and compare it to your neighbors place. Of course there are a myriad of issues that could be contributing to the results you find, but this is a telling sign.
If your roof is the bare one when others have snow or frost, despite having a similar pitch, you could be losing a boat load of energy in the form of heat. This year has been ridiculously light on or late for snow, but you can see it on the frosty mornings too.
Thermal imagery is available in the valley, which that can do a more accurate picture for you. There are also companies that specialize in energy efficiency audits. But for now, this crude visual tool may get you moving in the right direction.
The fix could be adding insulation or filling a hole. It could be as simple as a detached exhaust vent. The important thing to understand is that there is no one size fits all approach. You need to figure out what is causing the problem and address each individual situation to fix the overall issue.
Here is another look at what you might see if you look at your roof at just the right time.
From a remodeler’s perspective, this is always on our minds. At Levco, we always take a look at the attic and make sure that the existing conditions are addressed and that anything we disturb is re-insulated when we are done.
Over the years, we have made many recommendations to homeowners when we’ve seen problems, and remodeling is a good time to have these issues evaluated and addressed.
Bob Young says
Great post, Joe. I check my roof compared to others everytime it snows and I watch how quickly my roof melts compared to others. Actually, it looks pretty good. Our neighbor, on the otherhand, may have a problem. Cheers and keep up these informative posts.
Joe Levitch says
Thanks Bob, It is one of those things that I notice and wondered if anyone else does too.