How to avoid or take care of ice dams.

You may notice long, beautiful icicles hanging from the roofs on homes this time of year.  As pretty as these winter icicle can be they may do considerable damage to your home.  Ice dams form on roofs along gutters and valleys.  The hard ice ridge prevents melting snow from draining. As water backs up behind the dam, it can leak through the roof and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and

Source: http://roofing.owenscorning.com

other areas.

Ice dams are formed by an interaction between snow and heat of the roof.  Melted snow from the warmer areas will refreeze when it flows down to the colder portions, forming an ice dam.  Here are some tips from InterNACHI for preventing ice dams:

• Keep the entire roof cold. (Seal all air leaks in the attic floor.  Increase the insulation thickness in the attic. Move or elevate exhaust systems that terminate just above the roof.)
• A minimum of 3″ air space is recommended between the top of insulation and roof sheathing in sloped ceilings.
• Remove snow from the roof.  Careful to not harm roof.

Source: htttp://www.nachi.org/ice-dams.htm

AMS Inspection Services is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee and throughout Chelan and Douglas counties.  AMS Inspection also performs blower door and duct blaster testing for new construction projects.  AMS Inspection is a member of the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

Chelan County: Recycle Your Christmas Tree Dec. 31 & Jan. 7

Local Boy Scouts and Chelan County Public Works are teaming up to recycle Christmas trees for a donation of $3. On Dec. 31 and Jan. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can take your tree to the Chelan County Shop at 210 Easy St., Wenatchee; the Dryden Transfer Station, 9073 Highway 2; Entiat Brush Yard along Highway 97A, or the Chelan Recycle Center, also on Highway 97A.

Outdoor Living! (via Seattle Realtor)

Want to upgrade the backyard? Here’s scoop on the best improvements.

 In my 25+ years in real estate, I have noticed a trend towards more desire for outdoor “living” spaces. Not only has landscaping become more complex ( and beautiful!), people are interested in the flow of space between the interior and exterior and how they can maximize the ability to enjoy their outdoor spaces. A recent survey conducted by the Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) shows that today’s homeowners want lighting, fire, food and a [c … Read More