ICE DAMS 101

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If you're visiting this site, you may have noticed ice dams forming on your roof and wondering if there's cause for concern.

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The ice damming began to form when the snow started melting on your roof, and the water moved down the roof into the snow near the bottom edge, formed a wet slush, then re-froze - starting the cycle of ice damming.  It may have been from above zero weather, or heat loss into your attic.  Either way, your roof and attic space should not be warm enough to cause the snow to melt until the spring weather is upon us, or experiencing above zero temperature heat waves during winter.

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The cause for concern is when the ice dam cycle continues, and the ice builds in height, slowly working it’s way up the roof.  Once the ice dam reaches the point where the ice is directly above the attic zone, the water will stay in a liquid state and eventually leak into the building, then into the walls and ceiling.  Most popular location to see water, inside the building, is the light fixtures and outside wall/ceiling corners.

If you see water - it’s a concern!

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ICE DAM REMEDIES

Once the water is pooling behind a well-established ice dam, you will need to get the water off the roof as soon as possible to remove the risk of water seeping under the shingles, then leaking into the building.

 

What you can do immediately:

Get all the snow off the roof!

No remaining snow means no further water coming down and settling in behind the ice dam.  This will also open up the area behind the ice dam where the water is pooled, and freeze the water - in sub zero temperatures.

You can get this snow off the roof yourself, or find a contractor that offers snow shoveling specifically.  We do not provide snow shoveling only, we offer ice dam removal, and thawing services.  We do have relationships with companies that can help with this, if you would like us to provide that.

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Secondly, clean the snow off the ice dam very well.  This will allow the sun to hit the ice directly, and radiate through the ice, down to the roofing material - creating heat conduction near the shingle, that will allow the ice to loosen off the roof.  In some cases, well-established ice dams may be too thick for this to be effective (3+ inches).  Remember, further up the roof it gets thinner, so check those areas once the sun can reach it.. you'll be able to remove the ice once it loosens in the thinner areas.

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Getting the water to flow off the roof is next.  You can cut a channel from the edge of the roof, up to where the water is pooled.  This will allow the water to escape, which could temporarily avoid the risk of water leaking into the building.  To do this, you can use heating wires, ice saw, heat gun, torch, etc.  Ensure you are careful to stay away from the roofing materials with saws and flames.  This is a temporary fix, as the channel will (eventually) re-freeze, with the issue repeating, until the ice dam is melted away or removed.  Heating wires will keep a channel open through any conditions, so this is a good choice.

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If none of those remedies work, in a pinch, we can steam channels in large ice dams to remedy the water seepage.  This is a cost effective solution for the short term - as it can very very costly to remove extensive ice damming (3 ft/hr).

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COST STRUCTURE

Our services are billed at an hourly rate, starting with a minimum call-out of three hours locally, and wage + mileage is charged 20km beyond Regina city limits.

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Once an appointment has been established, and we are onsite, we will agree on the work being performed (full removal, channels, etc), then the boiler is initialized.  The boiler takes approximately of 40-45min to produce steam, depending on ambient temperature.  During this time, we will be preparing the area for the work (ladders, safety lines, snow removal above ice dam).

You will be charged a maximum 30min for prep work, until full steam is reached, then maximum of 30min wrap up once ice dam is cleared.

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How long will the steam work take?

It takes approximately one (1) hour to remove a 3-4 foot length that reaches 2-3 feet up the roof.  This is consistent with an asphalt 4/12 roof pitch (most common).

If your roof has a lower pitch (more flat), chances are the ice dam will reach much further up the roof.. increasing the steaming time for each 3-4 foot length.

So, for your estimation purposes, use the formula above and ballpark how many 3’ foot sections needing removal. This will give a rough estimate for overall cost.

Sending us pictures will help us determine a rough estimate for you - and ADVICE IS FREE!

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Ambient temperature is another factor that impacts the time required to remove an ice dam. In severe sub-zero temperatures, ice dams become especially affixed, so the tight bond between the roof and ice requires more steaming time to remove.  Favorable conditions are above -10*C for this work.

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ICE DAM PREVENTION

As part of regular winter maintenance, ice damming can be prevented by clearing 3-4 feet of snow from the overhang and edges of your roof, which is achieved easily with a proper roof rake.  This is EASILY achieved when the snow is freshly blown in, and soft,  Once it has settled for some time, and passed through temperature changes, it can be much harder to remove.

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Clearing the roof edge (3'-4'), which we call the 'cold zone' will now enable the sun to directly warm the roof surface, and naturally melt the snow from the bottom-up, instead of top-down - keeping this area clear for water to escape off the roof.  Don't worry about the gutters being full and frozen, the water will run over this area when escaping off the roof.  Once the downspouts are frozen, they usually stay frozen for the remainder of the winter.

 

​Homeowners can install heating wires or cables in the fall season, on the overhang (cold zone) edge of the roof. The cable should be routed in a vertical (zig zag) pattern from the roof edge - up 3-5 feet - then back down to the edge. The cables can be removed in the spring season once there's no threat of freeze/thaw conditions.  There is information on the internet explaining this installation.​

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PLEASE NOTE: If you require snow removal or roof shoveling only, please contact a company that specializes in that service.  We specialize in removal of ice dams, which may (or may not) require snow removal beyond the ice damming. Once the ice dam is removed, the snow on the roof should no longer be a threat - as now the water from melting snow is able to escape off the roof.

Commercial and residential buildings with large amounts of ice damming will also require (pre) snow removal on top of, and adjacent to, the ice dam - before service.

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Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss your situation, and if you require a service call.

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​See the GALLERY for examples of our work.