Ice dam removal & roof raking
Steam removal of ice dams. No shingle damage.
Ice dams force melt water back up under the shingles and into the house. We use low-pressure hot steam to safely melt the dam without prying, chipping, or beating up your roof.
Ice dam removal melts the dam off the eave with low-pressure hot steam so meltwater can drain instead of backing up under the shingles. Proactive roof raking after every 6 inch snowfall is the cheapest way to keep dams from forming in the first place.
Ice dams happen when warm air leaks into the attic, melts snow on the roof from below, and the melt re-freezes at the cold eave. The dam keeps building until water has nowhere to go but back up under the shingles. The University of Minnesota Extension guidance on ice dams is clear that the long-term fix is attic insulation and air sealing, not chipping. By then the cheapest answer is a careful steam removal, the cleanest answer is to never let one form in the first place.
How we remove ice dams
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Hot, low-pressure steam
Steam, not pressure. Melts the dam without driving water under the shingles.
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No chipping or chiseling
Mechanical removal damages shingles, every time. We don't do it.
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Drain channels first
We melt drain paths first so backed-up water has somewhere to go before the full removal.
Prevention
Roof raking before dams form.
If we can pull the snow off the lower 4 to 6 feet of the roof before it melts, the dam usually never forms in the first place. For most homes, a proactive roof raking after every 6 to 8 inch snowfall costs a fraction of a single dam removal.
- Ground-based raking, no walking the roof
- Recommended after any 6"+ snowfall
- Most effective for ranch homes and 1.5-story styles with low eaves
Service area
Where we work
Ice dam and roof raking service across the east metro.
- Woodbury, MN
- Oakdale, MN
- Lake Elmo, MN
- Cottage Grove, MN
- Maplewood, MN
Frequently asked
Common ice dam questions
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Will steaming damage my shingles?
No. Done with proper low-pressure steam equipment, the temperature at the shingle is no hotter than a warm summer day. The damage from ice dams comes from the chipping and chiseling people use to try to break them off, not from the steam.
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Can salt or chemicals fix it?
Not really. Calcium chloride socks can help maintain a drain channel temporarily, but they don't remove an established dam, and they're hard on shingles and gutters when overused.
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How fast can you get out for an active leak?
Same day or next day during normal business hours when conditions allow. After-hours emergency service is available for active interior leaks.
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What's the long-term fix?
Better attic insulation and air sealing so the roof deck stays cold, plus better venting at the eave and ridge. We can refer a contractor for that work, but in the meantime preventive roof raking keeps you out of trouble.
They took care of my driveway all winter and even cleaned up heavy snow after a spring storm. The team was punctual, efficient, and respectful of my property. This company is also veteran owned.
Get the dam off before it gets in the house.
Same-day quotes and same-day callouts when conditions allow.