Help! I Have Icicles in My Attic

Not long ago I received a question from a reader who lives in an older home in the Bristol area. She wrote to me because she had gone to get something that was stored in her attic and noticed that there were icicles hanging off the framing inside. She wasn’t sure how they got there but she was worried and reached out to ask my advice. I’m so glad she did.

It might be hard to believe that icicles can form inside the house, but in many older homes that lack proper insulation and ventilation, the attic can become a magnet for condensation, which will freeze when it gets cold enough and the moisture has nowhere to go.

We all know that heat rises, and when we heat our homes in the winter, a lot of that warm air moves up through our ceilings and into the attic, rising all the way up to where it should be able to pass through the vents to the outside. However, if those vents aren’t working properly, the condensation and air have nowhere to go, so it collects on any cold surface below the dew point and turns into frost. After a while, this frost builds up to form icicles. The more moisture that builds up in the attic, the worse the problem will become. As temperatures rise and that ice and frost start to melt, it can saturate your insulation with water, causing mold and mildew problems as well as potential leaks in your ceiling. What’s worse is this isn’t even just a winter problem. Condensation build up can cause issues in your attic all year long.

So how do you stop the condensation from forming? Your first move is to look for sources that are pushing excess warm air into the attic. If you have a whole house fan, it’s a wise move to cover it as the louvers are letting your valuable heat escape quite easily. Bathroom fans are another sure bet for letting air through and they will cause major condensation issues if they are blowing into the attic instead of venting directly outside. Finally, make sure your folding stairway is covered over with an insulated box or weather stripping to avoid losing that extra heat.

While sealing off places that allow excess heat to get into the attic is a great idea, the one thing you never want to do is seal off your attic vents. Attic ventilation is a system which includes intake vents in the soffit and exhaust vents at the roof’s ridge. If these vents get sealed or blocked, there is nowhere for the condensation to go, so it gets trapped and can easily manifest into a leak. Believe it or not, the average family of four generates two to four gallons of water vapor each day from cooking, cleaning, showering, laundry, and breathing. If that water is left sitting in the attic, you’re going to have a problem.

These freezing temperatures give you a great opportunity to take a look up in your attic to see if you have any frost or icicles culminating in your home. Next week I’ll tell you more about how to properly ventilate and insulate an attic to make sure your property isn’t prone to leaks and other condensation-based damage in the future.  

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Make Sure Your Water Heater Keeps You Warm

We’ve had a relatively pleasant winter so far this year, but as we all know, a sudden cold spell in February or March can make it feel like spring will never come. With a few more months left of winter, now is a great time to make sure your water heater is working the way it should. Here is what you need to know.

As a water heater operates, it collects sediment that can cause decay if left in the tank over time. Don’t let this happen to yours. Drain your water heater at least twice a year to get rid of any buildup, which will prevent corrosion and increase the machine’s energy efficiency.  To do this, first turn off the unit and give it plenty of time to cool down. Then, using a garden hose and pump, drain the water into a bucket. If the bucket becomes filled with brown, sediment-tainted water, continue to refill and drain your heater until the water looks normal again. When you’re in the clear, you can disconnect your hose and turn the unit back on.

Keep your water heater at a steady 120 degrees and lower it down if you’re planning on leaving the house for three days or more. For every 10 degrees, you decrease the temperature, you’ll save five percent in energy costs.

Insulate the tank and pipes with fiberglass. For the tank, fit a fiberglass blanket using foil tape, but be sure not to cover any valve or pipe openings. For the pipes, you can use fiberglass wrap or foam insulation. By adding a layer of insulation to your water heater, you’ll keep the warmth from escaping into the air and you’ll protect the machine from condensation in the warmer months.

If you have a valve that’s leaking, make sure that the fittings are nice and tight. If that doesn’t work, you might have to replace the valves or fittings. You can find the parts you’ll need at a local hardware store – just don’t forget to shut off the water first!

Remember, working with electric or gas appliances can be dangerous. If you’re not familiar with how your unit operates or if you’re not comfortable with this kind of work, contact a plumber for a routine maintenance check.  

The average lifecycle of a water heater is about eight to twelve years and they can cost anywhere from $300 for an electric tank system to well over $1,000 for a tankless energy efficient natural gas machine. If you’re in the market for a new machine, do your research and make sure you maintain it regularly to ensure it will go the distance.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Updating Kitchen Counters Makes for a Fun Winter Project

Old counters can make a kitchen seem drab and out-of-date. Luckily, there are a few options for counter replacements that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. If you’d love to give well-worn or boring old countertops a new look without breaking the bank, this week’s column is for you.

Paint. Assuming you’re working with old laminate counters, a fresh lick of paint can give you an easy update to a dark, faded kitchen. Brands such as Rust-oleum offer special paint just for countertops that come in a dozen colors and don’t require a coat of primer if you’re just going over laminate. Many also contain antimicrobial protection which will protect the painted surface against mold, mildew and other odor and stain causing microbes.

Concrete. Concrete countertops and floors are very fashionable in home trends, but having to deal with the process of pouring a real slab can be expensive and challenging. Not to worry - you can always skim coat your current counters to make them look like the real thing. Ardex sells a feather finish which will help the concrete bond to the countertop, and while it might not have the same durability as a solid concrete counter, you’ll be able to achieve the look for a lot less.

Tile. I love the aesthetic of tile because it can add lots of color and style to a kitchen at a really affordable price. While you can technically tile over laminate, I’d recommend building new countertops out of plywood and then using an underlayment of tile backer to secure each piece into place. A tile countertop can look great, but it also involves a lot of grout which can be tough to clean. If you’re tiling, be sure to invest in a proper sealant.

Stainless Steel. If you’re comfortable building and sanding down new plywood countertops, consider wrapping them with stainless steel sheet metal. For a metal look without the real thing, you can purchase liquid stainless steel paint made by a company called Giani. Both will give your kitchen a modern look which can be brightened up with colored cabinets, or left with more natural materials for an industrial feel.

Corian. If you love the look of stone but granite and marble are out of your budget, you might want to consider a less expensive alternative such as Corian, which is a solid surface material derived from bauxite. It’s durable, comes in a variety of thicknesses and can mimic the look of marble, sandstone or other popular, more expensive natural stone materials. It also comes in solid colors if you’re after a more contemporary look.

Do you have a tip or trick to give countertops a breath of fresh air without spending a ton of money? I’ve love to hear from you - send me a message on Facebook at facebook.com/odonnellbros

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.