Do Ice dams back up under the SmartVent?
No. Because of the design and installation of the product. SmartVent has passed the New England Ice Dam Test, which is where we created an ice dam and iced and thawed the product repeatedly and there was no sign of water or ice backing up at all, let alone up 6″ where the slit is. Better than this I feel is the Field Testing that it has been through over the last 8 years. It has been installed throughout the Northern states like NY, MI, WI and the other cold weather states never having been an issue. When you install the SV you measure up 6″-7″ from the metal drip edge and cut a 1″ continuous slit. Then install SmartVent . Next, install the ice and water shield membrane or tar paper. Then put on your starter course and shingle over it. The drip edge at the fascia board under the SmartVent product is important to protect where the roof decking meets the fascia board from any water penetration. The ice shield on top of the SmartVent is very important because it protects the top of the ro
