the logical consequence of snow

[cellio]

We had had about 30" of snowfall (in two batches) when I took these pictures this morning.

Though it's getting an assist from the side of the house so maybe it doesn't count, this is our longest icicle currently:

We've got some pretty long free-hanging ones too. I'm glad these are over the back yard (which is currently deep in snow so no one's walking there), because I don't think I'd be able to reach them to knock them down with tools currently on hand. (We have already knocked down the ones in front that threaten mail delivery.)

Dani and I have been watching this one, which is only a couple feet from the snow below it at this point. We're kind of hoping it makes it all the way down.

Comments

[gingicat]

Eeek!

In the spring, you should have a look at your insulation; icicles form because of heat leakage from the house.

[magid.livejournal.com]

This.

[cellio]

This is a roughly 100-year-old house; we already know it leaks heat. :-(

That said, the biggest formations are from the parts of the house I'm not as worried about. In the second picture, the lower story is an enclosed porch and the space above it was obviously walled in after the original construction. So those areas already have interesting thermal properties. (The porch is unheated but we pass through it to get into the house; it tends to be warmer than outdoors and way colder than the house proper.)

At the top, the attic is finished but kept fairly cool; we don't spend a lot of time up there but do go up there regularly. (The SF library is up there.)

I think we're doing most of the practical things we can do that don't involve spending a five-digit number of dollars on an insulation project. (We haven't gotten an estimate for this house, but I've been down that path before in another house.)

My biggest worry right now is: how can I find out if I have ice dams in my gutters before they do interior water damage?