Ice Dam & Gutter Protection: what to expect
Removal done properly
Low-pressure steam is the only removal method that does not damage the roof. It melts a channel through the dam and lets the trapped water drain, without stripping granules the way a pressure washer does and without splitting shingles and crushing gutters the way chipping does. Rock salt corrodes flashing, fasteners and gutters and kills the plantings below. If a crew arrives with hammers or a pressure washer, that is the wrong crew.
Why it happened, and how to stop it repeating
An ice dam needs snow on the roof, an upper roof surface above freezing and an eave below freezing. The middle term is the one you control. Heat escaping through recessed lights, an unsealed attic hatch, a bath fan discharging into the attic, ductwork in unconditioned space or thin insulation warms the deck from below and melts the snow sitting on it. Air sealing the attic floor, bringing insulation to a consistent depth right out over the top plate, and clearing soffit vents so cold air washes the underside of the deck is what actually ends the annual cycle.
Gutters, membrane and heat cable
On a re-roof, self-adhered ice-and-water membrane running from the eave well past the interior wall line is the backup layer for when a dam forms anyway. Clean, correctly pitched gutters and downspouts that discharge away from the foundation help drainage. Heat cable can hold a channel open through a bad winter but treats the symptom and adds an electricity bill. Fix the attic first.
Typically included
- Low-pressure steam ice dam removal
- Roof snow removal from the lower slopes
- Attic air sealing and insulation assessment
- Soffit, baffle and ridge ventilation correction
- Ice-and-water membrane specification on re-roofs
- Gutter, downspout and drainage repair