We have discussed ways to keep your landscape healthy, but this time we are going to discuss proper landscape design strategies that are seldom thought about.
Many people have lawns with flowers and trees. For some reason, however, the landscape never seems to look as good as it could. If you want to create your dream landscape or garden, there are a few things you should think about. For example, your flowers. If it is summer, consider planting some summer flowers. They will thrive instantly and leave you with a beautiful garden for the next few months. When winter comes however, your flowers will die and come summer, they will need to be replanted all over again. Gardens aren’t just about summer, so it helps to have a mixture of summer and winter flowers in your garden so when the next season passes, you don’t have to do as much replanting. (more…)
It is fun to watch icicles form on your house. In Minneapolis, icicles forming on your roof are one thing you can count on each winter. The bigger they get, the more impressive they become. Behind that large icicle hanging from the side of your roof, there is even more ice holding the structure in place. All icicles from your roof must have strong bonds to your roof or gutters. In previous posts, you can read about how these dams form and how to prevent them. This post is going to explain ice dam damage to your home as a result of leaving a dam unattended to. Ice dam damage is serious business in Minneapolis, further emphasizing the importance of ice dam removal in Minneapolis.
Ice Dam Damage
Water Damage
Water damage is the big issue that can come from ice dams. That is why it is so important that you have ice dams removed from your home. The water on the surface of your roof melts when the heat from your home rises. The water then gets trapped on the roof from the ice that is not exposed to the heat. This allows the water to sit on the roof and eventually leak through and cause water damage to your home. While this is an exterior source of water, there is also an interior source of water getting into your home that causes damage.
It occurs when air leaks into the attic. The air carries the moisture from the warm air in the home into the cold attic air. In the attic, the air condenses and makes the cold surfaces – such as the rafters and roof sheathing – wet. Over time, this moisture could turn into a serious mold and mildew problem.
Insulation
The water leaking in from the roof from an ice dam is likely to leak into the wall and soak the insulation. These are areas that don’t have good air circulation for water to dry. These leaks can also seep into your living area causing water staining on the ceiling and walls. Having wet insulation and drywall for a period of time can cause serious health risks in your home, impacting the air quality due to the contamination of mold and mildew.
Potential Hazards
Not having ice dams removed can lead to serious repairs to the home if they are not dealt with. You eventually may need to replace all of the insulation in the attic and the ceilings and drywall. This process can have a hefty price tag and equals a whole lot of inconvenience.
➤ Click here to learn about the ice dam removal services offered by Dean Bjorkstrand
Current trends in landscape design do not just include a nicely mowed lawn and pretty flower beds. If you desire this, you can simply hire a lawn service to keep your lawn perfectly manicured. Today’s Minneapolis homeowners are using companies that perform professional landscape design. But what is the key to hiring a Minneapolis landscape design professional?
It is no secret. Minneapolis is cold. If you are a resident here, you are no stranger to icicles. Icicles hanging from your roof may make your house look pretty, but they may also indicate the presence of ice dams. Ice dams are a damaging winter roofing problem caused by poor ventilation and a warm attic. Left untreated, ice dams can cause serious damage to your roof, gutters, paint, insulation, drywall, and can even lead to mold.
How To Prevent Ice Dams
What causes ice dams?
Ice dams form when melting snow runs off and refreezes at the edge of a roof. Warmth from the roof melts the snow that sits directly on top of it, causing water to flow between the roof and the outermost layers of snow. This water then re-freezes and turns to ice when it hits a cold unheated roof edge or gutter. As the snow touching the roof continues to melt, water continues to flow down the roof surface until it hits the ice, thereby creating a larger and larger ice dam.
Despite freezing temperatures outside, the underside of the roof in the attic is warm enough that it heats the outside roof to the point that snow melts. Ironically, the potential for ice dams gets worse after a big snowstorm. Snow is a great insulator so the surface of a roof can warm up more quickly from the warm attic space, thereby melting the snow faster.
Why are ice dams bad?
If this situation continues, the ice can work its way back up the roof edge, get under shingles, melt and leak into the exterior wall, home or attic. Damage from ice dams may not be readily apparent. As the ice melts and possibly drips into the wall or attic, insulation can be become wet and lose its ability to perform. In some cases if the right temperature and humidity exist, mold may begin to grow in the attic. Often paint will peel or blister weeks or months after the ice dam has melted as moisture from the leak in the wall or ceiling cavities tries to leave and pushes outward.
How to prevent damage from ice dams.
The most effective and sustainable way to prevent ice dams is to eliminate any sources of heat in the attic, and ventilate the attic as much as possible. To prevent ice dams from forming, the underside of the roof deck must be close to the temperature of the exterior side of the roof. Eliminate any factors that could be adding heat to your attic such as improper insulation, furnace or water heating equipment in the attic, or heating ducts or fans venting into the attic.
Act Now
If you find yourself battling an ice dam in the winter, act as quickly as possible to prevent any damage to your house. Do not attempt to hack away at an ice dam with a chisel or shovel. This can be dangerous for you and for your roof. One tool you can try is a roof rake. Roof rakes offer a safe way to remove large amounts of snow from a roof to prevent ice dams from forming or getting worse. If you already have an ice dam beginning to form, you can try using a calcium chloride product to melt the ice.
Finally, if you are in a really sticky situation, you can call a professional ice dam removal service. While this may be a more expensive option, taking the preventative step of removing the dam before it causes any damage to your house can save you money in the long run.
➤ Click here to learn about the ice dam removal services offered by Dean Bjorkstrand
You may be wondering, “What is an ice dam?” if you’re not from Minnesota. While you do everything you can to take care of your family, you need to take care of your home as well. You should conduct regular inspections on your home throughout the year. Even minute repairs cause major damage overtime. An ice dam on the roof is one of the most common issues facing homeowners during the winter. Ice dams affect the attic. In addition, they can have hazardous effects on passersby and to the health of your home.
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It is late in the year. If you live in a cold climate region, you might be wondering whether performing autumn landscaping ideas on your property is worth the effort. Your lawn will likely be covered in snow soon. So why should you waste time making it look pretty?
Autumn is a great time to for landscaping. Why? Because you have a great opportunity to provide additional protection for your yard. Preparing for winter will help your lawn remain strong for the cold season and will enhance its strength in the spring.
Autumn Landscaping Ideas
Even though fall is approaching, you may still have some autumn landscaping ideas you want to include in your design. Despite the approaching snow, there is still time to give your property a last-minute makeover to have it prepared for the winter. Below are a few autumn landscaping ideas for you to try on your lawn or garden this season.
Remove thatch from your lawn.
If there is too much thatch in your lawn, the essential elements that keep it healthy become ineffective. Too much thatch causes snow mold that can damage your grass in the winter. To avoid too much thatch, do not leave large piles of leaves in your yard.
Mulch your leaves.
Instead of raking your leaves this year, you can mulch them instead. This saves you the hassle of having to rake the whole yard and gives your landscape some late-in-the-year nutrients to make it healthier come spring. Mulch can also protect your trees. Place two inches of mulch about five to eight inches away from your tree. This helps the roots retain moisture during the winter months.
Add bark mulch to your garden.
Apply bulk mulch on the soil to keep your garden health during the cold winter. This preserves moisture and provides insulation for the soil. Insulation keeps the roots warmer throughout the winter and gives you a stronger garden come spring.
Landscaping is not as easy to get “right” as you may think. Just because something looks beautiful does not mean it is efficient. Although it is exciting to own a new landscape design, you should not simply “jump in” if you do not know much about landscaping. Landscaping involves planning. Poor design and installation can actually harm your property and will ruin your curb appeal. Additional problems associated with poor landscaping include environmental and economic issues because you could contaminate the environment and you will have to spend additional money to make repairs. That is why you should avoid these common home landscape installation and design mistakes below. (more…)
It has to be mentioned: winter is coming. If you live in the Midwest, you might be feeling sad to see the beauty of summer fade. Knowing that snow is on the way, many homeowners give up on their lawn because they believe that there is no point in maintaining something that will soon be buried. However, fall is actually the ideal time to get to work on your lawn. If you give your lawn extra care when the end of the year is approaching, it will be much healthier in the spring. To save yourself a hassle, follow these four techniques to prepare your autumn landscape for winter. (more…)
A personal garden is a perfect way to grow delicious, organic food and to add some visual appeal to your property. However, there are mistakes and factors that can keep your garden from flourishing. That is why we have provided four organic gardening tips below that you can use to maintain a healthy organic garden.