If you’re looking to have your ice dams removed in Minneapolis MN or for ice dam prevention you have come to the right place.
Rooftop snow and ice can be a real problem for many Minnesota homeowners. Ice dams can lead to a leaky roof, causing damage to the inside of your MN home. From start to finish, we are here to help. We can expertly perform steam ice dam removal and ice dam prevention. We use state of the art steam ice dam removal equipment and the knowledge we have attained through years of home insulation installation, attic inspections and attic air sealing experience to give you an ice dam and leak free home in the cold MN winters. We are your “one-stop shop” for ice dams in Minneapolis, MN.
Steam Ice Dam Removal
Here at Ice Dams Removed we use 100% steam to safely remove ice from roofs and gutters in MN and nationwide. We are based out of Minneapolis, MN and this is where we got our start. Some of the areas near Minneapolis MN that we have noticed more ice dam problems than other areas are- St. Louis Park, South Minneapolis, St. Paul, Highland Park, North St. Paul, North Minneapolis, The Midway in St. Paul, Como Lake area, Minnetonka, Brooklyn Park and many homes in the Anoka County. These Minnesota cities and areas contain some of the most beautiful turns of the century homes in the United States. Though many of these homes are charming and are rich in style and architecture, many of them have poor roof design, little to no insulation and lack the proper ventilation to prevent ice dams from forming. When your roof is leaking, Ice Dams Removed can help. Like our name says, we remove ice dams. Our trained roof ice and snow removal technicians use specially designed ice dam steaming equipment that will not damage your roof’s integrity during the ice dam removal process. We make having your ice dams removed as pleasant of an experience as possible. Our technicians are well trained and very informative should you have any questions or concerns during the ice dam removal process.
It all starts with a phone call to Ice Dams Removed @ 1-(833)-ROOF-ICE to schedule your Minneapolis steam ice dam removal appointment.
- Please make sure somebody is available on your property while having your ice dams removed.
- Please make available to us a water supply with a garden hose fitting usually found at a laundry machine supply connection, laundry tub sink or outside faucet. If you can not find one our technicians will gladly find one for you.
- Allow our technicians to remove your ice dams efficiently. Yes, our technicians like coffee and cookies but you are paying us for the time we are at your house and we want to utilize that time and be as efficient as possible.
- Notify our technicians if you wish to clean up any snow and ice that is left on the ground. When having your ice dams removed our technicians first shovel the snow from your roof. This snow falls to the ground directly below the roof line where we are working. We then use steam ice dam removal to safely remove the ice from your roof. The ice on your roof and in your gutters also is placed on the ground below the roof line where we are working. If the area we are working is over a driveway, sidewalks, decks or patios it usually needs to be removed from those areas as well. This ice and snow removal takes time. Though we are very efficient it is still time that you are paying for. So, if you wish to save some money please let our technicians know that you wish to remove the ice and snow that comes off of your roof and has fallen onto the ground.
- Once we are finished and gone you can rest easy and sleep tight again, knowing that you hired Ice Dams Removed, the safest and most efficient steam ice dam removal service in the Minneapolis MN area.
Ice Dam Prevention
Preventing ice dams in Minneapolis is also a service we offer. To prevent ice dam accumulation on your MN roof we make every effort to get attic temperatures as close to the outdoor air temperatures as possible. We do this by adding attic insulation, sealing of any air leak spots that might allow warm air to enter your attic from your home and looking at the possibility of additional ventilation at your roof’s eaves and ridge. Whether your home needs insulation installation, attic air sealing, added ventilation or rooftop heat cable installation in Minneapolis, MN we can help. Preventing ice from forming on the eves of your roof and in your gutters with insulation, air sealing, and ventilation improvements is our preferred line of defense against any current MN ice dam problem.
Attic Insulation Installation
Installing insulation in your Minneapolis attic can not only prevent ice dams but save you money on your utility bills as well. Once we perform our ice dam prevention analyses of your home we will provide you with attic insulation recommendations, attic air sealing recommendations, attic ventilation recommendations and a free estimate for the work to be performed. When attic insulation is installed every effort is made to get your insulation up to the current building code standards for your climate zone. Every home has different needs when it comes to attic insulation installation for ice dam prevention. We wish it were as easy as looking at a few insulation charts and using a calculator to figure out how much insulation to install but it isn’t. Fortunately for you, we need to dig deeper than that by finding and eliminating all air leak spots that may cause any potential loss of heat from your conditioned home into your unconditioned attic and than adding your newly installed insulation and ventilation. Thus lowering your heating and cooling bills and preventing further formation of ice dams in Minneapolis and the surrounding twin cities area.
Ice Dam Prevention List
Below is a list of commonly found ice dam causing spots in your attic. Everything on this list is equally as important as the next so we have compiled it in no particular order. No one project on this list should be completed without considering the need for all the other items on this ice dam prevention list.
Attic Air Sealing
1. Attic Ventilation
Attic ventilation should be installed at the eaves and at the ridge of your roof. Providing you with 1 square foot of opening for every 300 square feet of attic floor.
Your eaves are found at the bottom-most area of your roof. The eave is located at your soffit line or the area of your roof where your gutter would attach. Eave vents are the air intake of your attic. Because warmer air rises eave vents will naturally vent to the ridge vent. Your ridge vents are located at the top of your roof allowing warm air to escape. Ridge vents are your warm air exhaust. A properly installed attic ventilation system clears your attic of unwanted warm air in the winter season, it is an essential part of any Minneapolis ice dam prevention project.
2. Attic Access Doors 
Unsealed attic access doors are a big trouble spot for heat loss. We cover them with foil faced foam board and install weather stripping to create an airtight, insulated barrier. Insulating attic doors can prevent warm air from entering your attic.
3. Air Exhaust
Bathroom fans, kitchen fans and dryer vent ducting in the attic needs to be well insulated and sealed at the attic point of entry. This un-insulated exhaust ductwork radiates heat into what should be a cold attic in the winter months. Thus causing your roof to warm and ice dams to form. Insulating exhaust fan ducts helps with preventing ice dams.
4. Insulation
Fiberglass bat Insulation, Blown loft fiberglass insulation, and spray foam insulation should be installed in accordance with current city and state building codes in your area. We approach every ice dam prevention project with an open mind as to which type of insulation best suits your home. Not all attics are built with wide open spaces that are easy to access and move around in. Many times we find that attics are sectioned off like in a 1 1/2 story home. This ice dam susceptible home style has crawl spaces on both sides of the home along the eves that are accessible by attic doors instead of a ceiling hatch. This creates walls between your cold attic and your heated home. These walls need added insulation as well. These spaces are often used as closets or storage by many homeowners, preventing proper airflow and weighing down insulation. Insulating a 1 1/2 story home for ice dam prevention often utilizes all 3 types of insulation to help with preventing ice dams. Adding insulation to your attic gives you more return on your $ than any other ice dam prevention project.
5. Can Lights
Though can lights look fantastic and seamless on your ceilings, when not properly installed they can be a huge problem for your roof. We can easily install insulated and air sealed can light covers for you that will help to prevent further warming of your unconditioned attic space and that lost heat will return to your home as a bonus. Whether your can lights are “IC” (insulation contact) rated or not, you still need installed insulated can light covers to seal and insulate them properly in order to help prevent ice dams.
6. Sealing Chimney Air Leaks
un-insulated heating supply duct in attic, This causes heat loss, leading to ice dam formations on the roof
In your attic chimneys generally, have an air gap between the brick and the lumber framing in your ceiling. This gap can be a spot where warm air can escape your conditioned space and get into your attic. Chimney gaps should be sealed with a fireproof, heat resistant sealant to help prevent ice dams from forming on your roof.
7. Attic HVAC Ducts
Unlike exhaust ducts, HVAC ( Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning) ducts supply your home with heated air from your furnace in the winter. If these ducts in your Minneapolis, MN attic are insufficiently insulated or un-insulated it can lead to a big ice dam causing problem. We can seal and insulate all of your attic ductwork for you, helping to give you greater energy efficiency and an ice dam free roof.
8. Wiring Holes & Trouble Spots
Seal all possible air leak spots with spray foam or silicone to prevent the warm air from escaping your home and getting into your attic. Common ice dam causing air leak trouble spots that we see are electrical wiring, cable line and phone line holes in the top plates of wall framing. We also find a lot of air moving through around lighting fixtures, bathroom fan boxes and the length of every wall that meets your attic at the ceiling of your home.
Heat Cable Installation
Rooftop heat cable installation is a service Ice Dams Removed does offer, but it is a last resort when addressing rooftop ice and snow problems. Roof top heat cables are not ice dam prevention. They are however used effectively for ice dam damage control. Heat cables are used to melt a channel through the ice dam allowing melting snow (water) to get through your ice dam and off of your roof. Though effective at stopping ice dam leaks when properly installed in a zigzag pattern across your eaves and through your gutters, these heat cables require maintenance and the added cost of electricity to operate in the snowy season.
The heat cable systems we install can be simple systems that require you to plug them into an electrical outlet when you want them to turn on. Or a simple yet more complex heat cable system with on demand temperature/moisture sensing controls that allows the cables to stay plugged in year round with no user error possible.
Rooftop heat cables are susceptible to damage year round. Squirrels love to chew on them and branches and debris will build up around them. Heat cables require annual inspection for proper operation and alignment prior to each winter season to ensure that they are heating properly and ready to melt through your ice dams.
Though not always necessary, a home energy audit is a sure way to find ice dam causing areas in your attic. Having an infrared home energy audit (often provided by your Utility Company at discounted rates) helps to give you and us a clear picture of your homes current needs. Infrared home energy audits show all air leak spots and cold spots in your attic spaces allowing us to pinpoint ice dam causing air leaks and trouble spots.
