Ice Dams Roof & Removal Services

Throughout the winter months, the snow on the roof of your house goes through cycles of freezing and thawing. This is when ice dams form in and around a home’s gutters and soffits, which poses serious risks to your roof’s structural elements, as well as interior walls and ceilings.

And if you have an ice dam on your roof when warm spring weather finally rolls around, heavy, jagged chunks of ice or large icicles can always fall without warning, posing a threat to anyone walking on your property.

That’s why you need qualified roofing professionals to take care of business. They will know what steps they need to take to safely remove the ice dam on your roof, and more importantly, will let you know what needs to be done to ensure that dangerous ice does not return in the future.

Professional ice dam removal includes the efficient and effective removal of snow and ice from your roof while minimizing safety risks and protecting your property.

Roof Pro Plus

Removing snow and ice from roofs and gutters in winter weather conditions can be extremely hazardous. This is why ice dam removal and prevention is a problem that should be left to professionals. 

Ice dam removal is a treatment, not a cure. By simply removing existing ice dams, you won’t be addressing the underlying reasons the ice dam formed in the first place. When you contact Roof Pro Plus, we will:

• Accurately diagnose the cause of the ice dam
• Remove it safely
• Let you know what needs to be done to make sure it won’t return

Ice Dams

Ice dams – the accumulation of ice on or around the roof line of a house – are a common household problem, one that can be particularly difficult and dangerous for homeowners. 

Ice Dam Removal

There are a variety of strategies for ice dam removal, but finding the best method will depend on the particular circumstances of your home or building and the extent of the existing ice dam.

This type of job can be extremely dangerous, as it entails significant time spent climbing around on an icy roof and finding ways to safely remove the ice. 

Due to the risks to both personal safety and property, homeowners should not attempt to remove ice dams. Ice dam removal is not a DIY job!

Where Do Ice Dams Come from?

Ice dams result from the thawing and refreezing of roof snow. Throughout the winter, heat naturally escapes through a roof and the underlying layer of snow melts, only to re-freeze if the melted snow cannot drip away when it reaches a colder area.

Generally, this happens in soffits, gutters, and overhanging areas because they are colder than areas in direct contact with the attic.

This cycle can start on a very small scale but gains momentum quite quickly. Once a small ice dam forms, it prevents water from running off so it accumulates, re-freezes on the roof, and creates a vicious cycle. 

Before long, the ice dam will grow to a point where it can easily push back up under the shingles and let water flow into the attic.

The Risks of Ice Dams 

Sometimes the weather can be to blame, but as mentioned above, in most cases ice dams are created for one of two main reasons: 

• When too much warm air escapes from the roof of a house, or 
• Due to a backup of ice and slush in blocked gutters, eavestroughs, or downspouts

An ice dam can easily push back up under the shingles, causing water to enter the attic. As a result, homeowners can face damage to interior walls, ceilings, insulation, as well as the roof, shingles, and soffits.

As an ice dam accumulates, it gets heavier and heavier, sometimes growing beyond a weight that the gutter can support. If it gets to this point, it is a very dangerous situation, as it could cause major damage to your home or threaten anyone who happens to be walking by when it finally falls.

Even if it doesn’t pose an exterior threat, ice dams can harm your roof in other ways. As water creeps in between shingles and expands as it freezes, it will loosen shingles and allow more water to enter until you have a leak and interior ceiling damage.

Along with our removal services, our professionals can provide expert advice to prevent water damage, ice dam damage, roof collapse, and other issues.

Ice Dam Prevention Tips 

The key to protecting the long-term health of your roof is to prevent ice dams before they start. To reduce the likelihood of ice dam formation during the winter months, homeowners should keep the following tips in mind:

• Installing attic insulation will help reduce air leakage and heat transfer loss through the roof, which will reduce the chance that an ice dam will form. 
• Adding baffles when insulating will ensure better air movement at the eaves.
• Ensuring your eavestroughs are lower than the roofline allows ice and snow to slide off more easily.
• Cleaning eavestroughs regularly will help prevent blockages.
• Installing an ice and water shield of at least three feet at the eaves of all heated roof decks (in conjunction with a metal drip edge or eavestarter) will greatly reduce the chances of a leak that could turn into an eventual ice dam.

Contact Roof Pro Plus for Professional Ice Dam Removal

The experienced teams at Roof Pro Plus are experts at safely removing and preventing ice dams. We serve the following areas: