Ice Dam Removal in Southfield, MI

HomeGuide's ice dam guide calls low-pressure steam the safest and most effective removal method. Professional steamers heat water to about 290°F and spray it through a specially designed nozzle that melts the ice down to the shingles without hammering them. A pressure washer works differently: it blasts the ice with high-pressure water, which is force rather than heat. A crew usually clears the snow above the dam first, then cuts channels through the ice so the backed-up water can drain, then takes the dam down in sections. It's a ladder-and-harness job in freezing weather. Nobody should be on an icy roof with a hatchet.

Pulling the lower few feet of snow off the roof after a storm takes away the snow that would melt and feed the dam. NDSU Extension recommends a roof rake so you don't have to get on the roof, and warns to watch for overhead power lines. University of Missouri Extension adds: take care not to damage the roofing, and leave roof work itself to professionals. On a two-storey house or a steep roof, a contractor can clear snow with soft tools that won't scrape the shingles.

Heat cable runs in a zig-zag along the eave and down through the gutter and downspout. It keeps a melt path open so water can drain through a dam instead of backing up. It doesn't remove the reason the dam forms. NDSU Extension says homeowners use things like heat tape to treat the symptoms instead of preventing the problem. That makes it a fair choice for one stubborn spot you can't fix from the attic, like a valley over a porch or the eave under a cathedral ceiling, and a poor substitute for air sealing across the whole house. Use a cable listed for roof and gutter de-icing, installed to the maker's instructions, on a proper outdoor circuit.

Leaks from an ice dam show up near exterior walls, along the top of windows and at ceiling corners, often days into a cold spell. Once the ice is gone, the repair has three parts. The contractor checks the deck at the eave for soft wood, then dries out or replaces wet insulation, which ENERGY STAR flags as a sign of a roof leak. Last comes the interior. If the roof is due for replacement anyway, the lasting fix is a membrane at the eaves (see ice and water shield installation). Take photos of the ice and the stains before anything is cleaned up, in case you file an insurance claim.

NDSU Extension names heat loss from the house into the attic as a major cause of ice dams. Snow over the warm part of the roof melts, runs down, and freezes again once it reaches the overhang. MU Extension's list of gaps to plug is short: around plumbing vents, wiring, recessed lights and chimneys. ENERGY STAR's attic guide adds the hatch, kneewalls, dropped soffits and duct chases, and says to seal before adding insulation. Then ventilation: ENERGY STAR explains that outdoor air moving through the attic keeps it cold and cuts ice damming. Details are on the attic insulation and roof ventilation pages.