01/23/2026
With all the snow and extreme cold, you might start to see ice dams forming on your roof.
This is a big deal, because if you leave them unattended there's a good chance water will start leaking through your roof and into your walls. That can lead to MAJOR damage inside your home- everything from ruined ceilings and drywall to electrical problems to mold.
We wanted to share some info so you can be educated on what's causing ice dams and what you can do about it.
First- ice dams are NOT caused by clogged gutters- that's a common misconception.
They form when heat escapes through your roof which then melts a layer of snow that's in contact with your shingles.
This water travels underneath the upper layer of snow toward the edge of your roof.
The problem is, the eaves of your roof aren't insulated so the surface is colder there. For this reason that snow melt re-freezes when it reaches the edge of your roof.
Over time this process builds up an ice dam. When the dam gets big enough, snow melt from the upper, warmer portion of your roof begins to pool up behind it. It has nowhere to go but under your shingles, into your roof decking, and eventually into your walls.
This is when the major damage starts to happen.
So, what's the real cause of ice dams? Too much heat is escaping through your roof. You need more insulation. It's that simple.
So here are some things you can do to PREVENT ice dams:
1. have your insulation levels checked in your attic. If you have enough, it will keep the heat in and the snow on your roof won't melt in the first place. Problem solved.
2. If you can't afford that, your next best option is to keep your roof clear of snow. That way there's nothing up there that can melt, roll down and re-freeze at the edge. The leading 4' or so from the edge of your roof should probably do the trick.
Now, what do you do if you are already seeing ice dams forming?
You are probably going to want to get rid of them asap, before water starts leaking through your roof and into your walls.
Here are some things to be aware of, though:
1. Don't use tools like hammers, chisels, ice picks or scrapers. First of all, that's really slow, tedious work. And it's almost impossible to remove all the ice. More importantly, those tools will beat the crap out of your shingles and you'll find yourself needing a new roof prematurely. And if any contractor offers to remove your ice dams using this method, that's a red flag.
2. Some form of ice melt product can work. But there are major drawbacks. Firstly, it's really slow. It can take hours or even days for ice melt to reduce ice dams significantly. Not much help when you have an emergency situation with water leaking into your house. Secondly, most of those ice melt products are highly corrosive. You probably don't want that stuff sitting on your shingles and in your gutters for the rest of the winter. Thirdly, it's just not a very through method. Ice melt might reduce ice dams here or there, but what you are really looking for is complete removal of all snow and ice in the problem area, including the entire gutter and downspout. Ice melt just isn't good enough to accomplish that.
If you have serious ice dams forming, your best bet is rapid removal with steam. That's my team at Lake State Cleaning does it.
We use specialized machines that produce very high temp wet steam. This melts ice like butter. It's fast, it's safe for your roof, and it completely removes all snow and ice in the problem area.
So, in summary- prevention is the best course of action. Fix your insulation or keep your roof clear. Or both.
But if you do develop problem ice dams, you want to find a contractor (like us) who uses an industrial grade steam machine. They will be able to fix your problem fast, with no risk to your roof.
Hope that helps, and let us know if you need us!
