[ Infrared Scan ] [ Blower Door Test ] [ Fog Test ] [ Pattern Analysis ] [ Temperature and Humidity Monitoring ] [ Quality Assurance Tests ] Snow, Frost and Dew Pattern Testing and Documentation
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Figure 1: Warming
of attic results in bare patches on a roof.
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Figure 2: After
insulating the roof,
attic warming no longer
causes snow melt which
leads to ice dam
problems.
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Snow, frost and dew pattern analysis is a technique used in conjunction with other tests such as an infrared scan to identify
problems in the roof assembly insulation. The
presence of snow and frost-melting patterns on a roof can indicate attic warming.
Attic warming is started when warm air leaks into the attic assembly and melts the snow on the roof, causing bare patches on the
roof slope as in figure 1. Melting snow on the warm areas of the roof forms melt water that flows down the roof until it reaches the colder area of the roof near the eaves. The
melt water hits the snow that remains at the eaves and refreezes to form ice dams. Ice dams prevent proper water drainage and can lead to roof leaks.
Figure 2 is showing the same building as in figure 1, but after the roof assembly has been properly insulated. The even blanket of
snow across the whole roof indicates that heat is no longer rising through the attic and causing snow melt which can lead to ice dams.
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