Snow + Warm + Cold = Dam!
What to do about all the snow and ice piling up on your roof.
It’s already mid-February, and we still have quite a bit of snow and ice on our roofs, and we all know, it’s been there AWHILE now. It seems to be growing larger and more menacing then the snow piles at the side of the road. How can we thaw the lock they have on our homes and take some action to eliminate or control any damage they might cause?
It seems like winter is going to continue to drag on, so I figured it was time to call Eric Hedberg, owner of Hedberg and Son Roofing. We all need some serious advice on this topic, and who better to call then a company who has been doing roofing in Des Moines for more than thirty years? We talked this morning and I picked his brain about the issues we are having here in Des Moines and what the best approaches are to fix them.
What is an ice dam? When it snows…and snows…then melts…then freezes (repeat about four hundred times) the ice that forms in each of these cycles grows bigger. It will clog and overflow the downspouts and gutters. We usually see the first signs of trouble in the form of ice sickles. Unfortunately, they don’t just hang down; they are also backing up onto the edges of the roof and sometimes under the shingles. When this ice mass melts the result can be condensation in the attic, water down the walls, puddles in the ceiling and then resulting in damage to drywall, fixtures and paint.
When installing roofs, Eric has been installing a three foot rubber Ice and Water Shield product on a roof edge that will help minimize water penetration from things like ice dams. If your considering a new roof in the future, make sure you discuss your options for ice and water shields.
Of course, the best way to stop ice dam damage is to stop them from forming. This requires clearing the snow and ice from the roof and gutters before it starts to pile up. Use a snow rake to gently scrape the snow and ice off the roof and away from the gutters.
I googled “snow rake” and found http://www.roofrake.com if you’re interested in purchasing one. Basically, it looks like a really big squeegee on a long handle and costs around forty bucks.
If you are ready to take action, Eric recommends gently scraping off the ice from the shingles (trying not to damage shingles) with a snow rake and clearing the gutters so ice melt can flow out. If you don’t like the idea of climbing a slippery ladder, I would hire a professional. Eric said this type of work has kept them busy this winter and a basic service will usually run from $150 to $250.
If you have a two story home and you are worried about ice dams, consider a more permanent fix by hiring a roofer to install ice cables to melt the ice and snow before it accumulates and causes problems. According to Eric the typical installation (he uses commercial grade materials) runs from $600 to $1,400.
Our conversation brought up a couple of other valuable tips to consider in a heavy snow year like this. First, your roof system needs to breath. Roof vents can get clogged with heavy or blowing snow and prevent proper attic ventilation which can lead to condensation and other issues like bigger ice dams. A visual inspection from the ground or attic should verify the vents are clear. Second, Eric suggested that homeowners start thinking about where all the snow is going to go when it starts to melt. If the downspouts and gutters are frozen solid will they channel water away from the foundation? See this previous piece on dry basements I did last spring.
In the name of disclosure; Hedberg and Sons have never done work for me, but they have done work for one of my agents that really liked the work they did. After speaking with Eric, I got the impression they are knowledgeable, good people. There are, of course, many roofers in the Des Moines area to choose from and we always recommend that one does their own due diligence before hiring any professional.
Hedberg and Son Roofing: Phone: 515.265.0616;
Website: www.hedbergandson.com
Article written by:
Douglas Burnett, Broker/Owner of Burnett Realty
Phone: 515.778.0377
Click here to email Doug.



How many times this winter have you heard someone say “I haven’t seen a winter like this since I was a kid” or listened to the meteorologists predict “record breaking snow, record breaking cold and record breaking snow cover”? It sounds like a broken record that needs to be thrown out!
Content provided by James Noelck, Registered Landscape Architect,






