Steam removal that saves the roof, then the heat tape and attic fixes that keep the dam from coming back.
An ice dam forms when heat escaping through the roof melts snow on the upper roof, the water runs down to the cold eave and refreezes, and the ridge of ice that builds there backs the next melt up under the shingles. Along the Wasatch Front the worst dams form on north- and east-facing eaves of bench homes in Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Bountiful and Provo, and on nearly every roof in Park City and Heber during a cold snap after a storm.
SwiftHand Gutters removes ice dams with low-pressure steam, which melts channels through the ice without touching the shingles. Chipping with a hammer or shovel, or pulling at ice with a rake, tears shingles and gutters and is the most common cause of the roof damage we see in spring. After removal we inspect the roof edge and gutters and recommend the fix that stops the dam from coming back.
Projects Completed
Years Experience
Licensed & Insured
Year Warranty
Steam removal is priced by the hour and the amount of ice, typically $400 to $900 for a single-story home and $600 to $1,400 for a two-story or mountain home. Heat tape to prevent the next dam runs $12 to $25 per foot of cable plus the controller. See the pricing page.
Removal solves this week’s problem. Prevention is self-regulating heat tape in the gutter and downspouts to keep a drainage channel open, plus attic air sealing, insulation and ventilation to keep the roof cold so the snow does not melt from below. We install the heat tape and will tell you plainly whether the attic is the bigger issue.
01
Tell us where the ice is and whether water is coming inside. Interior leaks move you to the front of the schedule.
02
We cut channels through the dam, clear the gutters and downspouts, and remove icicles over walkways, all with low-pressure steam.
03
We check the roof edge, flashing, gutters and hangers for damage and send you the photos.
04
Heat tape on a sensor controller, gutter repairs if needed, and a straight recommendation on the attic.
No. Low-pressure steam melts the ice without mechanical force on the shingles, which is why we never chip or hammer.
Not safely. Roof rakes pull shingles and gutters, and chipping tears them. Calcium chloride socks help a little on small dams but do not clear a frozen gutter.
Shade, roof heat loss and a frozen gutter. Heat tape addresses the gutter and the channel; attic air sealing and insulation address the heat loss.
Yes, every week in winter. Ice dam calls from the Wasatch Back are grouped so we can respond quickly.
