It should come as no surprise that its hard for me not to keep an eye on architecture as I am driving throughout New England. However, recently the most prominent element I have seen, more than anything else, is enormous icicles and ice dams!
This winter has been hard on homes and has reinforced why good detailing on the way you build a structure is so critical.
On every building we design we specify not only a healthy amount of insulation but also a cold roof. What that means is we recommend installing a air gap above the insulation and below the finished roof surface. This allows for ambient air to move from the soffit to the ridge and keep your roofing temperature consistent with the exterior temperature. This improves the life of your roof, prevents ice dams and gives one additional layer that helps prevent leaks.
Up in the mountains of Vermont after putting up a custom timber frame home, we got to go back and tackle the exterior timbers…
