Ice Dam Prevention & Removal

Ice Dam Removal

Ice Damming

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

A recipe for disaster can be brewing, if it happens to you, with temperatures above freezing during the day and well below at night. In 2010 and 2016, we cleaned off over 100 roofs that had this issue. But, I’m letting you know that we can prevent it before it occurs. This problem can and will cost you thousands in damages and in the past, many insurance companies were not covering the claims because they say its “a maintenance issue.”

 

Anatomy of an Ice Dam:

Ice Dam Removal

Many people think this is caused because their gutters are full of debris. That can contribute to the issue, but is not solely the cause. The main cause is snow on your roof and gutter line. As the snow melts, it freezes and continues to build a glacier. The gutters then ice solid causing icicles and eventually a few things occur.

  • The gutters can get so heavy that they fall to the ground or pull away from the fascia.
  • The water that can’t drain through the gutters backs up under your shingles.
  • That same water penetrates through the sheeting and soffit and eventually into your home.
  • Water can get into the insulation and cause the M word (MOLD!)
  • The combination of everything above.

To prevent the ice dam from occurring, we need to remove the first 2-4 feet of snow from your roof and gutter line and clean out whatever snow and ice that is not solid in your gutters. This allows the normal melting to take place and prevents a major dam. Even if the dam is minor, the process above will remedy the issue. If it’s too thick, we will need to take added measures to resolve the issue mentioned below. This problem could go on for a good amount of time in a rinse, recycle,  and repeat kind of fashion. Meaning, it melts when the temps are above 32° and refreezes when temps go below 32º – until all the snow melts away from your roof and gutter lines.

Ice Dam Prevention Pricing

We have special pricing for those that want to prevent the issue from occurring.

  • Single story homes under 3,000 sq ft (interior) starting at $205
  • 2 story homes under 3,000 sq ft (interior) starting at $305
  • 3rd story areas are billed additional $75 per area.

If your home is over 3,500 sq ft in size, no big deal, we charge an additional $.10 per square foot.

Ice Dam Removal Pricing

If you choose not to take preventative measures and you do get an ice dam, we can still remedy the problem but it’s much more expensive to do so. We need to rake the roof, chip away the ice, and then apply an ice melter to the gutter and roof lines. It’s normally 2-3x more expensive than the prices above.

Pro Tips

if you choose to monitor the situation and have access to attic or crawl spaces above garages frequently keep and eye on the lower portion of the roof from the inside of the home. If it’s wet… you have an issue. If you can not see anything from those areas go outside and see where it looks like there are icicles or ice built up in the gutters, then go inside the home and look on the ceiling and above windows in those areas. Feel around those areas and look for wet/damp spots. Listen for dripping water. If the problem gets awful you will know right away because water will be dripping on the inside of your home. The issue here is… just because you don’t see or hear water, it doesn’t mean the issue is not occurring.

Turn your heat up especially on the 2nd floor. The higher the better. This will help melt the snow off your roof faster. Do not attempt to get on the roof with snow on it. You will be risking your life. Leave this up to a professional. When you hire us, we rake your roof using proper tools to do the job so it won’t damage the shingles.

This is the start of an Ice Dam:

Ice Dam Removal

This is the entire process to resolve the issue:

Ice Dam Removal
Ice Dam Removal
Ice Dam Removal
Ice Dam Removal

This is what normal melting should look like:

(the sunny south side of the home)

Ice Dam Removal

Email or Text Us Now:

Email: steve@squeegeeklean.com

Text: (717) 461-9969

For exact quotes, text exterior photos of all sides of the home to (717) 461-9969

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