Are There Other Ways To Remove Ice Dams

Are there other ways to remove ice dams from your roof besides steam? The simple answer is yes there is. There are many ways. However, all fail for several reasons as listed below, leaving the victory again with the low pressure steam method. For the sake of topic lets discuss alternative methods of ice dam removal and discuss the pros and cons with each.

  • Blunt force such and hammers, chisels, etc.
  • Pros> Removes ice quickly
  • Cons> Easily destroys the fragile cold roof and gutters with impact or to deep of a blow. Can not clear the gutter system. and will not fully remove the ice dam without impact on the shingles. This is the easiest and quickest way to damage a roof and shorten its life span. Both asphalt and fiberglass shingles are extremely brittle in the cold! Similar to peanut brittle and impact force is never a good idea.
  • Ice Melts.
  • Pros> May stop a water leak temporarily (or it may make it worse!)
  • Cons> Takes time to work and may not fully relieve the water leak. Some ice melt is corrosive to metals and harmful to shingles and living things such as pets and plants. Will not fully remove the ice dam unless there is multiple applications over a long period of time and could potentially harm roofing, sidewalks, and kill living things.
  • Roof Raking.
  • Pros> Will eliminate some of the snow (the water source) and help the sun shrink the ice dam.
  • Cons> Will not remove the ice.
  • Hot pressure washer.
  • Pros> NONE!
  • Cons>! Why are Pressure Washers Dangerous

There are many other creative ways but these are the most common and none can even compare to the low pressure steam method. With low pressure steam the ice is completely removed and there is no damage done to the roof. Call IDSAFE # 612-460-0474