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Expert Residential Ice Dam Removal for Safe, Secure Homes
Residential ice dam removal is essential to protect your home from water damage and preserve the integrity of your roof. Our experienced professionals use safe, effective methods to efficiently remove ice dams, ensuring your home stays dry and damage-free during the winter months.
Is ice growing on your roof? Are you seeing water damage in your home?
Gopher Property Services offers a professional and efficient ice dam removal service, ensuring your home is safe and secure from winter weather damage.
Reach out to us by phone 612-331-3713 (24 hours a day) or by filling out the Free Quote form here and we will get back to you ASAP!
Experience peace of mind with a clean and safe roof after our expert ice dam removal services.
At Gopher Property Services, we take a meticulous and thorough approach to removing ice dams from your home. Our process is designed to not only safely remove the ice but also to ensure long-term protection against future formations.
Our team begins with a thorough inspection of your roof to assess the severity of the ice dam and identify the best approach for safe and effective removal.
We use gentle, yet effective steam removal techniques to carefully melt away the ice without damaging your roof, ensuring all blockages are cleared and water can flow freely.
After removal, we conduct a final inspection to ensure no residual ice remains and provide you with tips and recommendations to prevent future ice dams from forming.
Homeowners like you choose us for our reliable, expert service that guarantees a safe and ice-free home all winter long.
Our customers return to us because we take care of them and make sure their home is safe and free from ice damage year after year during our cold Minnesota winters.
Our team has years of experience in effectively removing ice dams, ensuring quality and reliability.
We prioritize the safety of your property with insured, skilled professionals and state-of-the-art equipment.
We respond quickly to your needs, providing fast and efficient service to minimize any inconvenience or further damage to your home.
Experience the peace of mind that comes with professional residential ice dam removal, offering numerous benefits including:
By removing ice dams promptly, we prevent water from backing up under shingles and seeping into your home, where it can cause structural damage, mold growth, and ruin insulation.
Regular removal of ice dams helps maintain the integrity of your roof, extending its lifespan by preventing the stress and damage that ice accumulation can cause.
Eliminating ice dams improves your home’s thermal resistance, preventing heat loss through the roof and potentially lowering your heating costs during the cold months.
Removing ice dams enhances the safety of your home by preventing dangerous icicle formation and reducing the risk of ice-related accidents around your property.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining properly. This can lead to water backing up under roof shingles and into your home.
Ice dams can cause water to pool on your roof, which seeps under shingles and into your home, potentially leading to water damage, mold growth, and structural issues.
Signs of ice dams include icicles forming along the eaves of your roof, water stains on your ceiling, especially after a snowstorm, and ice buildup at the roof’s edge.
We use steam removal techniques to safely and effectively melt the ice without damaging your roofing materials, ensuring a thorough and careful removal process.
Yes, our steam removal technique is gentle and safe for all roofing materials, including asphalt shingles, wood, metal, and tile roofs.
It’s a good idea to check for ice dams during and after each heavy snowfall, especially when temperatures fluctuate around the freezing point.
While it may be tempting to remove an ice dam yourself, it’s recommended to hire professionals like Gopher Property Services to avoid potential damage to your roof and personal injury.
We are available 24 hours a day for emergency services and strive to respond to emergency calls as quickly as possible, often providing service within 24 hours to address urgent ice dam issues.
Improving attic insulation and ventilation to minimize heat loss through your roof is key. Additionally, regular roof maintenance and snow removal after heavy storms can help prevent ice dam formation.
Coverage varies by policy, but some homeowners insurance policies may cover ice dam removal and related damage. It’s best to consult with your insurance provider to understand your coverage details.
Oh yes, the good old ice dam problems of last year. Man, I was in a panic. I had water coming in my house and had no idea what was going on. I was told by my neighbor to call Gopher. I did. How easy was that. They came with their steaming machine and removed the ice by melting it off my roof. The water stopped leaking. Nice job, Gopher!
I am a school teacher. I have to be to work. The water was leaking into my house and I didn’t have time to meet the Gopher Crew. Luckily, they were able to take care of it while I was at work. I don’t know what I would have done without their help. They did the job without me meeting them there and were able to charge my credit card once I approved their work.
Gopher was able to make it over to my house to remove my ice dam within one day. Justin was so easy to deal with and he did such a professional job. I will call them again if I need an ice dam removed.
It seems that ice dams happen every year on my house. I decided to be proactive and have Gopher always remove the snow when we get a buildup of over 4 inches or more on the eave edges of the roof. It seems to be working. Ice dams have not formed for a couple years now. Price is right compared to interior ceiling damage in the past. Thanks Gopher Crew!
Ice dams are a common winter challenge for homeowners in Minnesota, a state known for its harsh and lengthy cold seasons. The formation of ice dams involves a complex interplay of architectural features, weather patterns, and home heating dynamics, all of which are prevalent in Minnesota’s unique climate.
Minnesota’s climate is the primary contributor to ice dam formation. The state experiences very cold winters with substantial snowfall. Average temperatures in January can plunge well below freezing, which is ideal for ice dam development. Snow that accumulates on rooftops acts as an insulator. When heat escapes from a home, it warms the underside of the roof, causing the bottom layer of snow to melt. As this meltwater runs down the roof, it refreezes upon reaching the colder edge or eaves, where no interior heat reaches. This process repeats over and over, building up layers of ice that form a dam, preventing further meltwater from draining. Instead, water pools behind the ice dam and can seep under shingles, penetrating through the roof deck and into the home.
The architectural design of many homes in Minnesota can also contribute to the formation of ice dams. Many homes in the region have complex roof structures with multiple valleys and dormers. These features are aesthetically pleasing and can help with managing snow loads, but they also create numerous nooks and crannies where snow and ice can accumulate, exacerbating the conditions for ice dam formation. Furthermore, the widespread use of attic spaces as living areas or for storage, without proper insulation, significantly increases the likelihood of heat loss through the roof.
Adequate insulation and ventilation in the attic are critical to preventing ice dams, and unfortunately, many older homes in Minnesota may not meet modern standards. Insufficient insulation allows heat from the living space to escape into the attic and warm the roof. Similarly, inadequate ventilation traps this warm air underneath the roof, further melting the snow. Ideally, the temperature of the attic should be close to that of the outdoors to prevent snow from melting on the roof.
Understanding why ice dams form is the first step in addressing them. Minnesota homeowners can take several preventative measures:
Improving Insulation
Enhancing the insulation in the attic reduces heat loss, maintaining the roof’s surface at a more uniform and colder temperature.
Enhancing Ventilation
Proper ventilation helps to remove the warm air that escapes from the living space, keeping the attic and the roof cold.
Roof Raking
Removing snow from the roof after a heavy snowfall prevents it from melting and refreezing at the eaves.
Installing Heat Cables
Heat cables along the edges of the roof can prevent ice from forming by maintaining a channel for the water to drain off the roof.
The prevalence of ice dams in Minnesota is largely due to its cold and snowy winters, compounded by typical home constructions and often inadequate insulation and ventilation. By addressing these key factors, homeowners can significantly reduce the risk of ice dams and protect their homes from potential water damage. Awareness and proactive management tailored to Minnesota’s specific conditions are essential for preventing the challenges associated with ice dams each winter.
Ice dams can be a significant problem for homeowners in cold climates, potentially leading to water damage inside the home. One of the most effective methods for removing these ice dams is steam removal. This method not only ensures the ice dam is eliminated without damaging the roof but is also environmentally friendly and highly efficient.
Before delving into the specifics of steam removal, it’s essential to understand what an ice dam is and how it forms. Ice dams occur when heat from the inside of a home escapes through the roof and melts the snow on top. The melted snow then flows down to the roof’s edge and refreezes, typically at the gutters or the edge where the roof surface is colder. This ice then builds up and blocks further meltwater from draining off the roof, creating a dam. The water that backs up behind this dam can leak into the home, causing damage to walls, ceilings, and insulation.
Steam removal is a preferred method for safely eliminating ice dams. The process involves the following steps:
The steam method for removing ice dams offers several advantages:
Safety for Roof Materials
Unlike mechanical methods such as chipping away ice, which can damage shingles and roofing materials, steam does not involve any harsh physical force.
Efficiency
Steam penetrates the ice dam quickly and melts it thoroughly, ensuring that the water drainage system of the roof is restored faster.
Environmental Safety
Steam uses only water, making it an environmentally safe choice as it doesn’t involve chemicals or salts that can damage roofing materials and pollute runoff.
Steam removal is an effective, safe, and environmentally friendly method for removing ice dams from homes. By understanding this process and utilizing professionals who specialize in steam removal, homeowners can protect their properties from the potential damages caused by ice dams, ensuring their home remains safe and dry throughout the winter months. This method not only addresses the immediate issue but does so in a way that preserves the integrity and longevity of the roof.
