ICE DAMMING ISSUE
Ice Damming: How does this happen?
What is an ice dam?
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that builds up along the edge of a roof. The ice creates a dam that backs water up and under the roof shingles. Once the water is deep enough, it penetrates the roofing system and creates water damage inside the home.
To recognize an ice dam, look for a bulge of ice attached to the eaves of overhang of a roof. There may be icicles hanging from the edge, and you may see stains on the siding. The rain gutters may be overflowing with ice. 
Often, the bulge of ice is covered with several inches of snow so you may not see it. Under the buildup of frozen snow is the melting snow and ice – water that is entering your home. If interior damage has already occurred, you will see a wet ceiling and wall or water flowing into windows.
How does it happen?
Ice dams begin when snow accumulates on the roof. Once it builds up on the roof, it acts as an effective insulator. Heat from the attic warms the underside of the roof and melts the bottom snow into a slush/ice/water mixture. This mixture slides under the snow cover and runs down the roof until it meets a cold surface like the overhang. The slush then refreezes. As more slush accumulates, the layer becomes thicker and thicker, creating an ice dam. All of this action is hidden from view under the snow 
cover.
Once the ice dam is high enough to overcome the pitch of the roof, water seeps under asphalt shingles. Standard roof shingle construction is not designed to resist the attack of water pooling on its surface. The alternate freezing and thawing that occurs under these conditions can increase the magnitude of roof leaks. Once the water has penetrated the shingles, it flows under siding and eaves and leaks through the framing of your home.
How can this be prevented?
To prevent ice dams, your first step should be to eliminate heat buildup in the attic space below the roof deck. You can do this by improving insulation, stopping air “bypass” and increasing ventilation. The temperature in the attic space below the roofing should be nearly the same as the outside temperature.
You may be tempted to use electrical snow-and-ice melt cables, but often these just move the ice dam further up the roof. The cables are hard to maintain, and often they’re unsightly. They must be fastened by putting new holes in your roof – not a good idea!!
It’s possible to remove snow from the problem areas before an ice dam develops if you can reach the area from the ground or the roof edge. You can buy a long-handled snow rake and carefully remove snow. Remember, though, that you could easily damage the frozen roof, and it’s a cold and dangerous job.
Where can I get more information?
If you have questions or concerns, consult a professional. Improper insulation or sealing around light fixtures, metal flue pipes, and chimneys can create a fire hazard. Also, ventilation can be tricky to achieve. In general, attics are not friendly places and one misstep can lead to you falling through the ceiling.
* Content derived from Mr. Fix-It Home Tips, The Ice Dam Cometh! What’s a Homeowner To Do?
WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
SAT., NOV 10, 2007
CRAIG SCHREINER - State Journal
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RICK SPUSTA Co-owner, with his wife, Denise, of Waunakee Remodeling Age: 52 Locations: Headquarters, 1001 Frank St., Waunakee; showroom, 5960 Odana Road, Madison; Renewal by Andersen, 1729 S. 108th St., West Allis. Web site: www. waunakeeremodeling.com |
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Waunakee Remodeling still building
By Barry Adams
608-252-6148 badams@madison.com
WAUNAKEE -- The business started at his kitchen table in a 900-square-foot duplex behind the Waun-A-Bowl bowling alley. The only truck was a $3,000, lime green, 1975 Chevrolet Stepside pickup.
Rick Spusta now works out of a 27,500-square-foot facility that includes a showroom, several offices and a warehouse. There 's also space for the fleet of trucks he owns.
After 30 years, Waunakee Remodeling has grown to become one of the major remodeling companies in southern Wisconsin. In 2002, Spusta opened a 3,500-square-foot windows and door shop in West Allis and, in 2004, a showroom on Odana Road in Madison.
By next year, Spusta plans on adding 15,000 square feet to the headquarters on Waunakee 's east side.
"It 's about good service, " Spusta said. "We try to be honest and fair with our customers. We try to tell them everything up front, what to expect, what not to expect. Nobody likes surprises. "
Spusta, an avid muskie fisherman, said the company has experienced steady growth of about 5 percent to 12 percent a year and over the past three decades is yet to have a year without growth.
Q: Have you created a brand?
A: Waunakee Remodeling has become its own entity. It runs well. I 'd like to think if there 's 10 remodeling projects in town on a given day, we 'll get the opportunity to at least bid on six or seven of them. We have on any given week a 35 to 40 percent repeat and referral lead base plus with all of the marketing we do. We 've been very fortunate.
Q: What was your first job in the remodeling industry?
A: I started putting siding on for a contractor in Chicago at 15 (years old). I was cleanup boy. We put gutters on and all of the houses were relatively the same. So we 'd just climb up (on) the roof in the morning and they 're only 3 feet apart. You 'd jump from roof to roof and never come down.
Q: How did you end up in Wisconsin?
A: I had friends that lived in Chicago and had property on Lake Wisconsin (east of Merrimac) and they brought me up here for weekends. My wife was a sales person for Montgomery Wards and I worked for a contractor. As (young adults) we were making pretty good money, $6.50 an hour. That was big money back then. At night I worked at the home shows and boat shows at McCormick Place, building displays, and we just got tired of the driving and the rat race and we knew we didn 't want to raise our family there. So I just came up here one Friday and found a job.
Q: How did you start your business?
A: I worked for a contractor and I was supposed to take over his company, and in the 11th hour he decided he wasn 't going to retire. I applied at a couple of contractors in town and at the time, in the mid- '70s (available) work was average at best. But then Dick Heiser, from Heiser Builders, gave me my first three jobs. I bowled with him, and he had three houses to do and I 've never been out of work since. He said they would get me by for a couple of weeks and that was the beginning of Waunakee Remodeling.
Q: Did you ever envision the business growing to what you have today?
A: No. Construction in the home-improvement field is one that I think one of out every seven companies nationwide make it three years. We just stuck with it. We stuck through the late '70s and early '80s when money was at 18 or 19 percent. I remember having to borrow money and having my wife 's parents co-sign a loan. It was tough for everybody. We made it through that and our business started to grow, and in the mid- '80s things started to loosen up, and in the '90s the Madison market took off.
Q: You used to do a lot of work for builders and contractors. But about 10 years ago you switched from doing work on homes under construction to all remodeling. Was that a tough decision? You did that at a time when new home construction was booming in Dane County.
A: That was a really tough decision. To send a letter out to 140 to 150 home builders (informing them of the change) was a gut-wrenching decision we had to make. We were probably at 15 employees, but I think it was a good move for the company. We like the challenges of remodeling. I 've always prided myself on having good technicians, good installers and we do a lot of difficult work.
Q: You said that replacement windows make up more than 40 percent of your business. What did you see in the market that convinced you to switch to all remodeling work?
A: Back in the mid-1980s, I had a couple of vendors, and they had become friends, who said they really think this window-replacement business is going to be the future of remodeling and they convinced me to become more active in window replacements. It was about the time where vinyl started to over take aluminum siding. So we thought the siding market was changing and the window market was changing, and we made a decision to switch gears.
Q: Are people skeptical of remodelers?
A: I think so, but Madison is pretty fortunate. There 's a pretty good caliber of people here. Myself and about eight other guys around 1980 started the NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) chapter. All eight are still in business. We wanted to improve that image and we wanted to improve the fly-by-night operator, so getting the NARI chapter going was the first step towards doing that. I think our customers are extremely intelligent and Madison probably more so than other communities. The Internet is a great tool for them. They can find out about products and things. We get a tremendous amount of hits on our Web site each week. They 're pretty savvy customers
CARING HOME MAKEOVER
Due to the overwhelming success of ABC’s hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, WKOW 27 has partnered with MGE and NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry – Madison Chapter) to provide a Caring Home Makeover to a deserving family in the greater-Madison area.
Hundreds of applications came pouring in... and the recipient of the Caring Home Makeover has been chosen, Jim and Mary Pertzborn of Madison!
Jim and Mary have lived in their east side Madison home for 41 years. They have 16 children and 16 grandchildren. Construction on their home will begin mid-October and conclude late November/early December. Watch 27 News Wake Up Wisconsin every Monday morning at 6:44am for updates on the progress of Jim and Mary's Caring Home Makeover. Or stop by 4606 School Road to watch as the Caring Home Makeover continues.
Waunakee Remodeling has been pleased to be a part of this project. Waunakee Remodeling donated the materials, labor and replacement of the Jim and Mary's roof addition, sofit, facia, gutter, siding, pro-line stone and windows.
