Ice Dam Removal Services

What is an ice dam? Knowing how to remove and prevent ice dams begins with knowing what this phenomenon is. Let’s briefly explain what ice dams are, why they’re hazardous, and how Smart Scapes LLC removes them.

An ice dam is a buildup of ice on the eaves of heated buildings. This comes about in the following sequence:

Heat escapes the buildings via the roof.
The escaping heat causes snow on the roof to melt.
Melted snow trickles down the roof and comes to the eave of the roof.
The eave is the overhang of the roof, the section of the roof which won’t have escaping heat.
As the eave is much colder than the rest of the roof, trickling water freezes here.
More snow melts further up the roof and flows down, hits the ice on the eave, and freezes.
This process repeats, causing chunks of ice to build up on the eaves, creating pesky ice dams.

Ice dams are quite dangerous. They are unpredictable blocks of ice poised at the very edge of a roof. Given the volatility of winter temperatures and conditions, they can thaw slightly and sip off the side of the roof, plummeting to the ground below. As one can imagine, this creates a fair degree of risk for anyone who might be walking nearby.

HOW SMART SCAPES LLC REMOVES AND PREVENTS ICE DAMS

When you sign up with a snow removal company this winter, be sure you select a company that offers ice dam removal services. Such a company will treat your property and building like their own, providing a lot more than just an occasional buzz through the parking lot with a snow plow.

Our seasoned Smart Scapes LLC ice removal technicians have unique practices and tools for ice dam mitigation:

When our team services a property that has ice dams, our first approach is to apply a green ice melt solution to the ice dams. That softens the ice up, making it easier to break away.

On our next visit, we use ladders, special tools, and safety gear to remove the ice by hand.

Once the ice is safely on the ground, we remove it from there too, ensuring that no slip hazards remain on the property.

Before our technicians leave the property, they apply a pretreatment to the eaves and valleys of the roof. This serves to prevent the buildup of ice dams in the future.

On every subsequent visit to the property, our technicians will inspect the building’s roof. They’ll apply more deicing agents or remove ice by hand if needed.

Most business owners do not possess the tools, safety ladders, security harnesses, and special deicing agents needed to remove ice dams. Ice dams require different deicing material than the compounds that go on pavement, asphalt, and ground-level hardscapes. Leave this task up to the professionals this season and save yourself the effort (and the safety risk) of attempting to remove ice dams by yourself.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Curious as to who offers the best ice removal services? Asking yourself, “Where can I find ice dam removal near me?” or “Who is a good ice removal contractor?” or “How do I remove ice dams?” look no further than Smart Scapes LLC.

Our ice dam removal services are complimentary with your unlimited service plan for snow removal. When you sign up with Smart Scapes LLC for the winter snow season, we charge a flat fee to remove all of the snow and ice from the ground level of your property. In addition to that, we remove ice dam buildups from your property’s eaves, all to ensure your business’s parking lots, driveways, entryways, and sidewalks are safe and passable for customers.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? CALL US ANY TIME AT (615) 437-5520 OR CHECK OUT THE FAQ BELOW:

How do I remove an ice dam safely?
We don’t recommend you try this on your own. Ice dams build up on steep, slippery roofs, which makes just getting to them a safety risk. The safest way to remove them involves the use of safety harnesses, a special ladder designed for winter use, and specialty hand tools that will break away ice without damaging the roof.
What kind of roofs do ice dams form on?
Just about any kind. Slate, shingle, aluminum, tin, steel, tile, etc. Ice dams are almost unavoidable, particularly in the latter half of the winter season when the “freeze-thaw” period is most pervasive.

How can I prevent ice dams from forming?
From the outside, the best approach is to hire a company that specializes in safe and effective ice dam removal. From the inside, ensuring that your roof is properly insulated will help prevent escaping heat, thus reducing the buildup of ice dams.

Does insurance cover ice dams?
At Smart Scapes LLC, our own business’s insurance covers the work we do on your building’s roof and eaves. That allows you to run your business with peace of mind and not worry about this concerning, winter-time hazard.

Ready to take the next step in scheduling a free consultation for your property? Call today to lock in early bird pricing for this winter’s ice dam removal. But hurry! Spaces are already filling up fast for snow removal and deicing services. We can be reached at (615) 437-5520