Ice Dam Removal

[Mike]

I've been doing alot of research on Ice Dam's since I've noticed it really seems to be a problem out this way. With so many ways to take care of this, I was wondering what you guys do to remove and combat ice dams if you offer this service.

Mike

[tropical wave]

fall maint is all that is needed to prevent ice dams. cleaning out the gutters and removing the debris is all that is required. But if the downspouts are clogged, water will back up into the gutters then force its way up under the shingles then all heck'll break loose. gutter cleaning could be sold as an add on during the fall months in the chilly climates. water damage is a huge problem up here.

[Henry B.]

Sorry but I have to disagree with you. It doesn't matter if anything is in the gutters or not. The main cause is improper ventelation in the attic causing the snow to melt, run down the roof and freeze as it hits the soffit areas and/or the colder gutter.

Gutter cleaning is a great add on though if your looking for extra money. So is ice dam removal. If you have any questions about it let me know, I would be happy to give you more details.

[Beth n Rod]

Henry has got a point. I have seen houses with lousy insulation and the snow melts off the roofs quicker than those around them with better insulation. These are typically the ones we have calls on to remove the ice dams.

Another contributing factor is periodic rain that melts the snow and then overnight freezing temps. Improperly installed gutters without adequate drainage angle or drooping. The water that pools inside freezes overnite and can then be added to by additional precipitation with freezing temps soon to follow.

Other than this, clogged gutters are another cause as mentioned above.

Rod~

[RyanH]

So, how do you guys remove the ice dams? Is it just hot water to melt them, or do they have to be broken up? I wonder if you spray some teflon in a clean gutter if you will be able to just lift the ice dam out after that?

[Henry B.]

Hey Ryan,

You can melt them with hot water but I would not suggest it. If done incorrectly you can actually add to the amount of water coming into the house and cause quite a flood. The proper way to do this is with roof rakes. Using a roof rake you pull the snow off the roof until you get down to the bare ice. Then you can either use hot water or carefully chip away the buildup of ice until the trapped water behind flows off the roof. Once the excess snow is removed the ice will usually start melting on it's own so it's not too difficult. DO NOT apply salt or ice melt to the roof or gutter, this will also cause problems. If you decide to chip the ice you have to be careful and make sure you don't pop off blocks of ice with parts of roofing in it..lol I know this is kinda vague but there is no "one solution fits all" in ice dam removal. It takes patience and attention to detail to get it done and it's a lot harder to do than it sounds.
It is not necessary in most cases to remove all the ice from the gutter just enough to take away the actual "ice dam". If you try to clear the ice from the gutter you will either loosen it, knock it off the house (gutters full of ice are REALLY heavy) or dent the gutter.
I know there are companies that just use a hot water machine and shoot at the ice to melt it. It does work but the problem is the leak into the home your trying to fix will become much worse and the home owner may blame you for the additional damage. Sometimes it also gets so cold that it has very little effect except to add to the ice dam and make the walkways even more hazerdous. The sudden heat can also cause the windows to shatter, crack shutters and some vinyl siding.

No matter what people tell you.... DO NOT attempt to rip the gutter off the house. This is a foolish thing to do and it may fall on you or someone else or hit the house or windows. If your lucky enough to avoid that, you will probably tear off roofing shingles with the gutter.
Also as soon as the snow and ice melt it will flood the basement!

If you have any more questions, give me a call. I've been doing ice dam removal for about 10 years now.

[Mike]

We recieved 2 feet of snow last week, now that the warm temps are coming and the snow is slowly melting, I've noticed alot of ice dams. I even have them on my house. I'm sure I dont have any roof leaks, but besides trying to climb on the roof and shovel the snow off what else can be done?

[VanDiesel99]

What about snow removal using the hot water machines? I was thinking you could market businesses that have been plowed but still have a thin layer of ice/snow on the parking lot/sidewalk. You could also use it to melt the large piles of snow that accumulate due to plowing. Anyone ever tried this?

[Henry B.]

Hey Mike,

Give me a call and I'd be happy to tell you how to fix it.. And also pick up some serious extra cash by adding it to your list of services. Don't wait too long though, you probably only have a week before the opportunity is lost.

Henry
301-353-9234

[Beth n Rod]

Ice dam removal is a good money maker if you dont mind working in the cold and have a hot water unit.

Rod~

[Henry B.]

I usually don't recommend using hot water for removing ice dams. The sudden temp change can cause problems like damaging windows and other things. Also if your not careful you will add more water behind the ice dam and cause more of a leak until the ice is cleared. I use my hot water rig for this occasionally but I don't like taking my rig out on ice covered roads with the way people drive around here.

[Beth n Rod]

Your points are controversial, but I am open minded.
Tell us how you do it Henry.
Rod~

[Henry B.]

controversial?

I'm just sharing my experiance. I had a client we did some ice damn work for last year that had someone remove an ice dam the month before using a power washer and she said they cracked one of her windows and caused more flooding in the house when they were removing the ice dam. She was quite insistant that I don't remove the new ice dam, she had the same way. A power washer can be used in a variety of ways including leaf cleanup, gutter cleaning, bee removal and ice dam removal.
That doesn't always mean it should be, there isn't always a substitute for using the proper equipment.

[Beth n Rod]

So....share with everyone here how you remove them...
Beth

[Mike]

I just really wanted to know what I could do to help from them turning into a problem, I think when you get 2 feet of snow, there's not much that can be done to prevent it, I just dont want it to turn into a problem as this stuff melts in the next few days as temps climb to the high 40's. Guess I need to get my lazy butt on the roof and shovel some snow off it.

Is there an easier way to get snow buildup off the roof, I dont want to use hot water as then i'll have serious ice buildup on the ground. Maybe I could rig a broom head up on an extension pole... hmmmm.....