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‘Insulation’ Category Archive


10 Tips for Winterizing the Exterior of Your Home

Friday, October 25th, 2019

Our first unfortunate taste of winter in Minneapolis came a couple weeks ago with the unexpected (and unwanted) snowflakes on October 11th. It was a good reminder that you know what is coming. Soon. A little effort invested before the landscape turns white will yield worthwhile benefits in energy costs, comfort and peace of mind. […]


Solving Ice Dams in Minneapolis

Friday, July 21st, 2017

Science + Common Sense + Insulation & Ventilation = No Ice Dams Frost Melt Patterns At their most fundamental level, ice dams are the result of the interaction of heat loss and snow on your roof. An experienced Kuhl Thermographer can use photos like these in conjunction with infrared imaging to see the weak points […]


Low Bidding Minneapolis Contractor Wins Again

Friday, June 30th, 2017

Kuhl’s Contracting Six Examples of How the Cheapest Company Costs the Most After being in business this long we have countless examples of crappy work done by other contractors here in the Twin Cities. Sometimes it’s a matter of inexperience while others it is a question of ethics. Either way, it’s a giant buzz kill […]


List of Common Ice Dam Locations on Minneapolis Homes

Friday, June 2nd, 2017

What is an Ice Dam? An ice dam is the ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof which prevents melting snow from draining as it should. The water that backs up behind the ice dam can leak into the home and cause damage to walls, doors, ceilings, insulation, and other areas. […]


Minneapolis Ice Dams Warning Signs

Friday, May 26th, 2017

How to Spot Ice Dams on Homes in Minneapolis and Surrounding Areas Thoughts on Ice Dams by Steve Kuhl: Think of it this way. Ice dams normally migrate over time from the the outer most edge of your eave in towards your home. If you have gutters, the ice dam will form there first and […]


Minneapolis Roof Leaks Part One

Friday, May 19th, 2017

Expert Advice on Common Roof Leaks in Minnesota Often times the most difficult thing in resolving a roof leak is to find it in the first place. Roof leaks in Minneapolis present some extra challenges because of the added influence that snow and ice buildup can play. This case study will examine the most common causes […]


Ice Dam Puzzle

Friday, February 24th, 2017

Minneapolis Homeowner Struggled to Find Educated Perspective on Ice Dam Mystery The Problem: Our client had been plagued by ice dams and cold-room-syndrome for many years. Ice dams are a roof problem, so why not call a roofer? The fact is, ice dams are not a roof problem and while one can limit the damage […]


Roof Snow Removal in Minneapolis

Friday, July 15th, 2016

How Using a Roof Rake Can Make Ice Dam Problems Much, Much Worse The Problem: You learned your lesson in the winter of 2011 with the epic ice dam outbreak that hit Minnesota. You read up that removing snow from your roof will prevent ice dams. Ice dams get their fuel (i.e., water) from the […]


Does Sun Cause Ice Dams?

Friday, June 3rd, 2016

Observations From the Experts on the Relationship Between Sun and Ice Dams Experience tells us that all ice dams are created when there is an area of the roof that is above 32 degrees that creates snowmelt which then runs down to an area of the roof that is below 32 degrees. Seems logical enough. […]


Minneapolis Ice Dam Prevention

Friday, May 27th, 2016

Using Insulation and Roofing to Address Chronic Ice Dam Issues in Minnesota How to Prevent Ice Dams In Minnesota Ice dam prevention in Minnesota is a tricky business. So much so that we hesitate to say any home is truly ice dam proof. It’s true that homes built after roof trusses became popular are far […]


What causes ice dams: Answer #93

Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

What causes ice dams? Google that question and you will get a lot of answers, the most common of which will be something about heat escaping into the attic, which in turn causes snow to melt on the roof and refreeze on a lower area. Standard stuff. In a broader sense, ice dams are caused […]


How to deal with water leaking into your home

Monday, January 12th, 2015

I’ve been asked many times over the years about how to deal with water leaking into a home. It’s obviously a super stressful situation, so having a few pointers can help. Here is a PDF that shows one technique for managing water leaks into your home (Ice Dam Leaks Minneapoils Water leaking down walls Minnesota […]


Ice Dam Prevention in Minneapolis and St. Paul

Monday, December 22nd, 2014

Ice dam prevention is a bit of a misnomer. Technically, it’s almost impossible to fully prevent ice dams if the conditions are right. Those conditions are: lots of snow, temperatures fluctuating between 10-20 degrees, inadequate insulation and ventilation and air leaks. Let’s not forget about air leaks. We are in fact the only company in […]


Minneapolis ice dam prevention

Thursday, December 18th, 2014

The best solution to ice dams in Minnesota is holistic. Because ice dams in Minneapolis are the result of a complex interaction among many variables, including insulation, ventilation, roofing, home architecture, climate and homeowner lifestyle, the answer to each ice dam problem is always unique to the case. Some ice dam prevention is as simple […]


Attic Frost: The Other…. Silent Killer

Friday, February 15th, 2013

If you haven’t taken a look in your attic space lately, it might be a good idea to take a quick glance around this winter. Who goes in their attic space in the winter? Come to think of it, who ever goes in their attic space? It’s not usually the most comfortable atmosphere which explains why […]


Versatility of Thermal Imaging: Finding Cat Pee

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

Yesterday I was in a client’s home doing a routine thermal inspection when I started to notice wet spots all over the basement floor. I immediately thought they were leaks coming from plumbing in the ceiling. A quick thermal image of the ceiling ruled that out. After scratching my head for a bit I walked […]


Ice Dam Leak in Minneapolis

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

Ice dams cause leaks in Minneapolis homes but not usually until later in the ice dam season. I received a call earlier today from a client in Edina with water pouring through her ceiling. The water was coming through a smoke detector (B) and soaking her floor. One interesting but not entirely surprising thing was […]


Birds Cause Ice Dams in Minneapolis

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

Birds and Ice Dams Birds might be the last thing you think about when you see ice dams forming on the edge of your roof this January. Yet birds can play a role in how they affect the ventilation of your roof. And as we all know, ventilation and insulation are two of the three […]


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