Ice Dam Prevention In Orillia, Ontario
Ontario attic rebates up to $1,250 may apply
Ice dam prevention works from under the roof, keeping the roof boards so cold that the snow on top stays frozen until spring. Sealing, depth and open soffits are the three tools.
Roof rakes and heating cables only deal with ice once it has formed. Ice dam prevention takes away the heat that makes it.
Ice Dam Prevention details
Orillia Snowfall Makes Ice Dam Prevention Worth Doing
Orillia gets close to ten feet of snow in an average winter, and a lot of it stays on the roof from December to March. That deep blanket holds warmth against the shingles, so any heat drifting up from the attic melts it from below.
The meltwater runs to the frozen eaves and sets into a ridge of ice. Water then pools behind the ridge and creeps up under the shingles and into walls and ceilings.
Three Parts Of Ice Dam Prevention
The first part is sealing the openings in the ceiling so warm air cannot rise into the attic. The second is building the layer up to about R-60 so warmth from the rooms stays down where it belongs.
The third is fitting vent chutes at the eaves so cold outdoor air keeps moving beneath the roof boards. All three together are what make ice dam prevention work.
Ice Dam Prevention After Water Has Come In
When an ice dam has already leaked, the fill beneath it may be soaked. We check it at the free visit, and wet or mouldy fill comes out before the new layer goes in.
The attic insulation removal page explains that step. Ceiling drywall and roof boards need to dry fully before the attic is closed back up.
Ice Dam Prevention Prices
Ice dam prevention is usually quoted as attic air sealing plus a top-up, at $2.00 to $3.50 for every square foot the attic covers. Vent chutes come with every job.
Plan Ice Dam Prevention Before The Snow Flies
Call (705) 243-3272 in the fall, before the first big snowfall, and we will find the warm spots and write the ice dam prevention plan and its price on paper. Our other services are on the home page.
Work That Often Goes With This One
Several of these are usually done on the same day.
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Attic Insulation Top-Up
Orillia's older houses mostly need an attic insulation top-up: fresh loose fill laid over the dry layer already up there, until the depth sits near R-60. For an older house, nothing gets the attic up to standard faster or for less money.
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Blown-In Attic Insulation
Blown-in attic insulation is loose cellulose or fibreglass sent up a hose and spread across the whole ceiling, around every wire, box and joist. It reaches the spots that batts leave open.
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Cottage Attic Insulation
Cottage attic insulation turns a thin summer ceiling into one that holds heat through a winter weekend. It is priced from the same rates we charge for a house in town.
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Attic Insulation Removal
Attic insulation removal vacuums out old fill that is wet, mouldy, flattened or fouled by animals, so the ceiling can be air sealed and refilled from scratch. A large hose carries it from the attic to a collection unit or sealed bags outside.
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Vermiculite Attic Insulation
Pebbly vermiculite attic insulation in an older house may contain asbestos, so a lab test always comes before any other step. Until the result is in, the safest choice is to leave it alone.
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Attic Air Sealing
Attic air sealing in an Orillia house stops the warm, damp indoor air that slips up through gaps at lights, pipes and wires. We work from above, on the ceiling side, ahead of any new fill.
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Attic Insulation Rebate
Homes from Orillia out to Washago and Brechin may qualify for an attic insulation rebate of as much as $1,250 under Home Renovation Savings, the provincial program. This page lays out the program's rules as they stood when we last checked them in October 2026.
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Attic Insulation Cost
Around Orillia, attic insulation cost generally works out at $1.25 to $3.50 per square foot of ceiling, cottages and houses alike. Taking old fill out first costs more.
Steps and prices
Unsure Which Of These Your Attic Needs?
After one visit we can say what the attic needs and what that will come to.
Tell Us About Your House Or Cottage
A few details are enough for us to call you back and pick a day to visit. Calls go to (705) 243-3272.