How to prevent the formation of icicles and frost on the roof of the house. How to avoid the formation of icicles on the roof in winter? We list the most basic advantages of cable anti-icing protection

Winter has come into its own, and in addition to wonderful holidays, ice and icicles on the roofs of houses await us. These winter attributes are common cause damage to property and even accidents. Let's see why ice and icicles appear on the roofs of our houses and can this be avoided?

How do icicles appear on our roofs?

If the thermal insulation of the attic or the space under the roof of the house is not done correctly, then not only significant heat losses occur during the heating of the house, but also ice and icicles form on the roof and cornices. Snow falls and accumulates on the "breathable" roof. It begins to melt, and the resulting water flows down pitched roof. At the edge of the roof, on the eaves, the temperature is much lower, and the water begins to freeze slowly, forming icicles and frost. This mass not only deforms the structural elements of the roof, but also poses a danger to the health and life of the residents of the house.

The main reasons for the formation of icicles and ice:

• Poor attic ventilation;
• Incorrect insulation of the roof or attic floor;
• Excessive vapor permeability of the thermal insulation material.

Why is snow melting on the roof?

You probably wondered: why on the roof of one house the snow lies untouched all winter, and on the other house the entire roof is hung with icicles?

When heating a house warm air rushes up. It accumulates in the space under the roof and, if the thermal insulation is not done correctly, then warm air penetrates through the roof structure. Thus, the roof begins to heat up, and the snow melts, turning into water. Moisture flows down the eaves, cools and transforms into icicles and ice. Based on these facts, you can draw the following conclusion: a house on the roof of which the snow does not melt and there are no icicles is properly insulated.

How ice and icicles can harm your home?

Poor heat and waterproofing of the roof can cause not only the formation of dangerous icicles, but also serves as a reason for the deformation and leakage of the roof. As a result, moisture begins to penetrate inside, which is fraught with wetting of the insulation, ceiling and walls. Wet insulation loses its thermal insulation qualities. Wet walls and the ceiling freeze through or serve as a favorable environment for the growth of fungi and mold.

There is a solution!

All these unpleasant phenomena will bypass your house if you take care of the correct insulation of the roof of your home. One of the best thermal insulation materials for external and internal insulation roofing is foamed polyurethane foam. This modern and high-tech material allows you to create a strong, monolithic, lightweight and durable coating with unsurpassed thermal and waterproofing properties. PPU coating allows you to forget about freezing, leaking roofs and significantly save your heating costs at home. A clear proof that PPU works more efficiently than other heaters is the complete absence of icicles on the roof of your house.

Hanging outside the window
Ice cube.
It's full of drops
And it smells like spring.
(Icicle)

The children sat on the ledge
And grow all the time down.
(Icicles)

Caught on the ledge
Head hanging down
Little acrobat,
Winter candy... (icicle)

Winter on the roofs are gray
Throwing seeds -
Growing white carrots
She's under the roof.
(Icicles)

The ice climbed higher
She began to live under the roof.
Little Julia will ask:
"What's under the roof there?" (Icicle)

white carrot
It has been growing all winter.
The sun warmed
I ate all the carrots.
(Icicle)

She grows upside down
It does not grow in summer, but in winter.
But the sun will bake her
She will cry and die.
(Icicle)

under our roof
Hanging white nail.
The sun will rise -
The nail will fall.
(Icicle)

What grows upside down?
(Icicle)

I live under the roof
It's scary to even look down.
I could live higher
If only there were roofs.
(Icicle)

This unusual book from the series "Seasons" will definitely please your baby! Bright pictures molded from plasticine will attract his attention, and cheerful poems will tell about autumn adventures forest inhabitants: a charming hedgehog and his friends. Books of the "Seasons" series are made of EVA foam - they do not tear, do not break and are absolutely safe for children.

Goldilocks' daughter Blondie Locks cannot stay away from what is happening around - unbearable cold has overcome the school and the whole city as a whole, so you need to urgently get ready for a long trip to return the heat. Blondie has completely thought out her image - she looks amazing! A bright coat with a hood with a fur frill in yellow and blue shades, long blue boots look great with an expressive beauty makeup and, even if hidden, but long thick hair. By the way, Blondie Locks did not forget to take her purse with her on the road.
The Ever After High Blondie Locks doll comes with a ring for girls and a story card.

Sanimobile PREMIUM is a quality sled with retractable wheels. This model has stylish design, very roomy, equipped with large soft wheels (diameter - 150 mm), flat oval skids and a unique pusher mechanism. This makes it possible to move comfortably on asphalt and other hard surfaces. And the high clearance makes it easy to ride them from any hill. The parameters of this model allow you to conveniently and gently change skids to wheels and vice versa without removing the child from the sanimobile, you just need to press the strong metal pedals with your foot. The wheel shift mechanism is very convenient, simple and reliable. The parent handle (pusher) and the backrest can be removed if necessary. The wheels are made in Italy, and created according to the latest technologies, do not deform and do not crack in the cold, they are soft and silent. The wheel attachment point is closed with a plug, which prevents dirt and reagents from entering the wheel axle.

The formation of icicles on the roof and their fall is one of the long-standing problems faced by urban and rural residents in winter period, photo 1. The sad fact has been established that every year about 500 ... 2000 people fall victims of falling icicles hanging from roofs around the world.

Photo 1. The formation of icicles on the eaves of the roofs of houses

The formation of icicles on the roof is due to:

• melting snow under the action of sunlight;
• melting of snow due to heat from attic floor or communications with poor thermal insulation.

Intensive formation of icicles on the roof occurs in the following periods:

• early spring, when water from melted snow during the day gradually freezes at night due to a slow decrease in air temperature;
• almost throughout the winter on roofs or its individual sections with very poor thermal insulation.

Basically, the reason for the formation of icicles is the melting of the lower layers of snow on the roof heated from below. Melt water flows down the slope to the edge of the roof and into the drainage system, where it begins to freeze, since the temperature in these areas is much lower than on the rest of the roof. Part of the water begins to gradually freeze, and icicles are formed, which can be of great length and weight. In the process of snow melting, the icicle gradually increases in size and mass until the moment when the adhesion strength becomes less than the own weight of the icicle, after which it falls from a height.

Photo 2. The mechanism of formation of icicles on the roof

Also, the intensity of the occurrence and growth of icicles is influenced by the following factors:

• the angle of the roof;
• orientation of the roof in relation to the cardinal points;
• the number of roof slopes;
• roofing material and color;
• roof shape;
• correspondence of the actual characteristics of the drainage system from the roof to these operating conditions.

To prevent the formation of icicles on the roof, it is necessary to carry out a number of measures aimed at:

• ensuring a normal heat and humidity regime in the attic, which will reduce the rate of snow melting on the roof;
• providing ventilation of the under-roof space;
• reducing the amount of snow on the roof.

To determine the choice of anti-icing device, it is necessary to determine the condition of the roof by the amount of heat loss or determine the thermal regime of the roof.

There are conditionally thermal regimes roofs:

• "cold" roof or "cold" attic;
• "warm" roof;
• hot roof.

"Cold" roof or "cold" attic

A "cold" roof has an attic that is not intended for housing and is not heated. V this case composition and structure ("pie") has a more simplified version, without vapor barrier, photo 3. Snow on a "cold" roof begins to melt only in the sun or at a relatively high air temperature.

The main characteristics of the "cold" roof:

1. good (minimum values ​​of heat loss or completely absent).
2. -5°C or more.
3. Installation area of ​​anti-icing systems: only in drains.
4. Peculiarities: the roof often has an under-roof ventilation layer.

Photo 3. The structure of the "cold" roof

"Warm" roof (residential attic)

"Warm" roof provides for the use attic space as living space at home, photo 4. In this case, to prevent the intensive formation of icicles on the roof, it is necessary to arrange a roof of a more complex structure. The roof structure must have the following layers, photo 4:

• vapor barrier layer;
• waterproofing layer;
• a layer of air gap (ventilation gap);
• a layer of roofing insulation (for housing with a thickness of at least 250 mm).

Photo 4. The structure of the "warm" roof

When making a pie warm roof all engineering requirements for the choice of insulation thickness and ventilation gaps should be followed.

The main characteristics of the "warm" roof:

1. Roof insulation condition: satisfactory.
2. Minimum temperature melting snow or ice:-10°C or more.
4. Peculiarities: heating cables should be used with increased power within 25 ... 30 W.

"Hot" roof

"Hot" roof- this is a roof with poor thermal insulation, which is associated with a violation of the technical standards for designing and building a house.

The main signs of a "hot" roof:

1. Roof insulation condition: bad (due to high values heat loss, attic dwelling or premises used for other purposes).
2. Minimum melting temperature of snow or ice: below -10°C.
3. Installation area of ​​anti-icing systems: complex application, installation in gutters, gutters and on the roof itself.

How to get rid of icicles on the roof?

Consider the most common means and methods of combating the formation and removal of icicles.

There are the following measures to combat icicles:

1. preventive or prophylactic measures;
2. measures aimed at the direct removal of icicles.

1. Preventive (preventive) measures to prevent the formation of icicles

Preventive measures to prevent the formation of icicles include:

1. thermal insulation different types attics and roofs.
2. Reconstruction of roofs and drainage systems from the roof.
3. Application of anti-icing coatings.
4. Installation of heating systems for roof eaves and gutters of the following types:

• electric heating system;
• water heating system;
• steam heating system;
• air heating system.

2. Measures aimed at the direct removal of icicles on the eaves of the roof

Measures aimed at the direct removal of icicles include:

• removal using a steam generator that emits superheated steam;
• removal with the help of a thermocornice arranged around the perimeter;
• mechanical methods of removal;
• ultrasonic removal methods.

One of the options for dealing with icicles is additional insulation roofs from the inside. Roof insulation with liquid polyurethane foam is highly effective, photo 5.

Photo 5. Roof insulation with polyurethane foam, as one of the methods to combat the occurrence of icicles on the roof

Method: Mechanical cleaning of the roof from icicles

In our time, they try not to use mechanical cleaning of icicles on the roof, since it has a number of disadvantages, namely, photo 6:

• high labor intensity of work to remove icicles;
• high probability of damage to the integrity of the roof and its individual elements;
• increased risk of injury (high altitude and risk of slipping).

Photo 6. mechanical cleaning icicle on the roof

Way: Cable anti-icing protection

Cable protection It is used to reduce the likelihood of icicle formation, as well as to remove them from roof ridges and watercourse systems. The main purpose of cable protection is to prevent the accumulation of snow on the roof. The principle of operation of cable anti-icing protection is to heat the cables up to desired temperature melting snow and ice. Cable protection works from electrical voltage 220 V.

The cable is laid on the roof according to such schemes, photo 7:

• around the perimeter of the roof;
• in separate local places of the roof;
• along the gutter and drain.

Photo 7. Laying heating cable: a) in the gutter and channels of the watercourse; b) in the area of ​​the roof overhang; c) laying in the valley area

Cable anti-icing protection consists of (photo 8):

1. Heating cable. It is laid in places of the roof where icicles can form, namely:

• along the contour (edge) of the roof;
• throughout drainage system in gutters and drains.

1. Fasteners. To fasten the heating cable and other elements of this protection, special fasteners are used, eliminating the need to make holes in the roof - adhesive tape or clamps.
2. Control and monitoring unit, which includes:

• rainfall sensor;
• ambient temperature sensor;
• melt water sensor.

If the control unit fixes the values ​​of the parameters at which icicle formation may occur, the protection system is automatically activated.

1. Distribution network is a system of wires, thanks to which the heating cables are connected to the electrical supply network.
2. Remote Control- a device through which you can control the operation of the entire device.

Photo 8. Components of anti-icing cable protection: a) heating cable; b) control and monitoring unit

We list the main advantages of cable anti-icing protection:

1. There is no need to change the structure of the roof.
2. Does not spoil the aesthetic appearance of the roof.
3. Can be applied to various types roofs.
4. Possibility of laying in local places of the roof or around the entire perimeter.
5. The system allows you to significantly increase the life of the roof.
6. Automatic system for monitoring and controlling the operating mode of cable anti-icing protection. Also, the system automatically turns off the protection if it is not needed (lack of snow on the roof or the temperature is below snowmelt).
7. High equipment life.

Here are some disadvantages of cable anti-icing protection:

1. High power consumption of the system (for example, the consumption of a 75 m 2 system will be approximately 3 kW or 10…30 W/m.p.).
2. There is an additional problem of ice formation on the ground near the house.
3. High cost of equipment (approximately 8…30 €/m.p., excluding the cost of power supplies).

There are several types of cable anti-icing protection:

cable with self-regulating - has the ability to change the mode of operation, and therefore the amount of energy consumed, depending on changes in weather conditions.

Advantages of self-regulating cable:

1. Reduced power consumption.
2. High degree of reliability.
3. Increased protection against overheating and short circuit.
4. Sufficient resistance to UV rays of the sun.
5. Resistant insulation against mechanical damage.

Resistive cable differs mainly in that it has a constant heating power.

Disadvantages of resistive cable:

1. Cable overlaps are not allowed.
2. Length restrictions.

Requirements for the condition of the roof, before installing anti-icing systems:

• the roof must be strong and reliable;
• no damage or leaks.

One of the new technological developments to prevent the formation of icicles on the roof and in the watercourse system, which provides for the combination of a drainpipe with a warm building wall, which is additionally insulated. The walls of the house transmit a small amount of heat (by a few degrees), which prevent the freezing of melt water and the formation of ice and, in particular, icicles. Such a device downpipes justified only in regions with warm winters.

Method: Ultrasonic destruction of icicles on the roof

The supply of an ultrasonic pulse with the help of a special device leads to the destruction of icicles.

Benefits of ultrasonic icicle breaking

1. Less power consumption compared to cable protection.

Disadvantages of ultrasonic destruction of icicles

1. Very high cost of using special equipment (approximately 200 €/m.p.).
2. This method allows only to remove icicles from the roof, and not to exclude their appearance.

General conclusion: In most cases, the cause of the formation of icicles on the roof is poor thermal insulation of the roof. Experts in the industry claim that with good thermal insulation and compliance with all design standards and construction rules, it can reduce the intensity of icicle formation by 80%, which greatly facilitates or even eliminates the use various methods fight against icicles.

Konev Alexander Anatolievich

MYSTERIES ABOUT ICUCLE.

One of the common experiments around the world is the need to find an icicle. Bring her home. Put it in a bowl and see what happens to it. And then write a report. And in order to stand out from the general mass of students, it is desirable to make the report unusual and bright. And riddles about the icicle with which you can diversify the text can help with this. We offer these riddles.