FAQs

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of your roof and prevents melting snow from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into your home and cause damage to ceilings, walls, insulation and other areas.

Short Answer: the cycle of snow on your roof slowly melting and refreezing causes a wall of ice - an ice dam. For a more detailed answer, read on.

Several factors can cause snow to melt and refreeze causing ice dams including: poor attic insulation, inadequate attic ventilation, and warm-air leaks into your attic.

Long Answer: Melted snow runs down the roof and freezes as the temperatures fall below freezing or when the water reaches a colder surface (like your overhangs, where there is no heated living space underneath). As the thaw-freeze cycle continues, the ice becomes thicker and thicker, creating a wall of ice - an ice dam. Future melting snow will stop behind the dam, with nowhere to drain off the roof. This pool of water eventually refreezes into more ice, but in the meantime some of the water works its way under your shingles (or other roofing material). When this happens, the water can leak into your home or business and quickly cause damage to ceilings, walls, insulation and other areas.

An ice dam should be considered an emergency if:
-there is ice or water on your siding or exterior wall surface

-there is ice under your soffits

-the ice or water is an odd yellow-ish color

-there is ice or water inside or around your window frames

-ceiling and/or wall stains have appeared

-you have any other water or moisture inside of your home

Be on alert if you see a thick block of ice on your roof! It may or may not look like an ice dam, but you should start checking daily for leaks or any of the above emergency signs.

Unfortunately, there is no safe way to remove ice dams yourself. You risk damaging your roof, injuring yourself or both.

There are various ice dam products available on the market – none of which we recommend. For more details, read on.

1. Sow Removal
We will remove the snow on your roof that is covering the ice dam to prepare it for steaming.

Note: We’ll remove additional snow from your roof if asked. We highly recommend it in almost all cases because it’s the melting and refreezing of snow causing the ice dam to form in the first place.

2. Prepare our Artic Steamer
We then need to clear our steaming machine of antifreeze and hook it up to a standard garden hose spigot (preferably outdoors).

Note: We understand some outdoor spigots are turned off for the season, but we will need you to turn the water back on for the duration of our stay (flowing water doesn’t freeze, so no worries!). When we’re finished steaming, you’ll want to turn your water back off, quickly open the outside spigot to drain any remaining water from the pipe and then close it. If you have an irrigation system, you may want to check with the company that closed it to make sure you don’t turn on the water to that system accidentally.

3. Remove the Ice Dam
We can finally steam away your ice dam using our Artic Steamer (purchased from American Pressure Inc.).

Note: Whatever you do, PLEASE make sure the company you hire to remove your ice dam is NOT using a pressure washer. This will ruin your shingles, causing even more in damage.

4. Clean Up
After the ice dam has been steamed away and all of the snow you’d like removed from your roof is off, we will begin clean up. The chunks of ice and snow that have fallen off into your yard will be left there. However, the ice and snow that falls onto your driveway, sidewalk, or other higher-traffic areas, will be removed for you (if you’d like).

Note: We continue to bill for this clean up service because it’s all a necessary part of removing an ice dam properly. However, if you’d prefer us to leave snow and ice on the ground for you to take care of, we will do so, but do not recommend it. If the snow and ice are not removed immediately, it may become a giant frozen mountain of snow and ice that becomes virtually impossible to move.

5. Invoice
Please see the “Cost” section (on the right hand side of this page) for more details.

There is nothing you NEED to do before we arrive. However, there are three ways you can reduce the amount of time your service will take (therefore saving you money):

1. Remove any snow from your roof with a roof rake.
Snow must be removed before we can properly remove your ice dam with our steamer. If you’d like to save money and complete this step before we arrive: buy a roof rake and clear the snow right before your appointment. DO NOT walk on your roof with a shovel (it’s a great way to damage your shingles without proper technique and get seriously injured or worse).

2. Make sure there’s a standard garden hose spigot accessible (preferably outdoors).
We will need to hook up our steaming machine to a standard garden hose spigot (preferably outdoors). These are commonly buried by snow so if you’d like to save money and complete this step before we arrive simply make sure one is accessible for us to use.

DO NOT turn on your water before we arrive. We understand some outdoor spigots are turned off for the season, but we will need you to turn the water back on for the duration of our stay (flowing water doesn’t freeze, so no worries!). When we’re finished steaming, you’ll want to turn your water back off, quickly open the outside spigot to drain any remaining water from the pipe and then close it. If you have an irrigation system, you may want to check with the company that closed it to make sure you don’t turn on the water to that system accidentally.

3: Be ready for us to arrive and avoid being too chatty.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but as long as we’re at your home, we’re on the clock and you’re being billed. We want to complete your job as efficiently as possible so we don’t rack up your final bill. You won’t hurt our feelings if you skip the small talk and let us get straight to work.

1.TURN OFF YOUR WATER!
If we didn’t help with this step before leaving, TURN OFF YOUR WATER! After doing so, quickly open the outside spigot to drain any remaining water from the pipe and then close it.

2.Water everywhere.
You may see a lot of water in your driveway and yard. What you are seeing is simply melted ice from your roof. There is no way to avoid water when melting an ice dam and there is nothing that needs to be done.

Short Answer: Possibly.

Long Answer: Ice dams may redevelop and cause additional problems; it doesn’t happen often, but it has happened. Ice dams redevelop most often when customers decide against removing all of the snow and ice from their roof or when the weather conditions are just right (or wrong really!) and you don’t keep the new snow accumulation off your roof.

You can never guarantee an ice dam won’t form, but you can reduce the likelihood by:

1. Clean your gutters!
Thoroughly clean all leaves, sticks, and other debris from your gutters and down spouts BEFORE winter strikes. This allows melting snow to flow into gutters and through down spouts.

We offer gutter cleaning services, learn more here!

2. Rake your roof!
If you rake your roof after every snowstorm or every time your roof accumulates more than 6” of snow, you’ll most likely prevent the formation of ice dams on your roof. To learn more about how to roof rake and what tools you’ll need, click here.

We offer roof raking services, learn more here!

3. Get a professional inspection!
Ice dams form because there is too much heat collecting in the attic; which melts the snow on the roof, which refreezes and results in ice dams.

By getting a professional inspection, you can pinpoint whether your attic lacks adequate insulation, ventilation, and/or if warm air leaks into your attic so you can take the proper measures to prevent ice dams from forming in the first place.