[Greenbuilding] ridge vents vs gable vents

[JAY WALSH]

Hi All,

Here in Western Mass with all the snowfall this winter the ice buildup on
roofs has been the most I've seen in a long time. And while I understand many
of the reasons snow melts and refreezes at the soffits, blockage of the eave
vents, lack of insulation at this location etc, I have been observing that
many of the homes with the most ice buildup are those with ridge venting,
many
of which were still fully covered with snow more than a week after the last
snowfall. And many of the homes with gable vents have little or no ice
forming. While it is not possible to see what the soffit venting or
insulation
in these homes are, I wonder if the loss of adequate attic ventilation due to
the blocked ridge vents could be a contributor to the greater snow melt/ice
formation?

Live Well