Ice dam removal isn’t some easy-peasy process that anyone can do. It actually requires some skill, technique, and even an understanding of the physics involved.
Many people don’t understand this because some roofing types are more forgiving than others. While it’s entirely possible for a novice ice dam removal company to damage an asphalt roof, this does not always result in immediate trouble that a homeowner can see with his own eyes. Often, the results of the damage show up much later, when that roof fails to make it all the way to its expected fifteen to twenty-year lifespan.
However, other roofing types are far, far less forgiving. If you get some newbie to do these roofs you’re going to be very sorry very fast.
Slate or Tile Roofing
Slate roofs and tile roofs look like they ought to be some of the sturdiest roofs you could possibly invest in. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. These roofs are actually incredibly fragile. The tile they’re made out of is porous and cracks under the slightest of pressure. The same is true for slate – it is thin and also extremely fragile.
We have watched novices leap up on these roofs as if they don’t have a care in the world, only to break tiles & slate left and right. And as soon as a roofing tile is cracked or shattered it is ruined. It no longer can serve its purpose and may let water into your home. Every tile that breaks will have to be replaced.
Experienced ice dam professionals know you shouldn’t walk on these roofs unless you absolutely have to. Even then they walk very, very gingerly! Experienced pros also get the homeowner’s express permission before setting foot on the tiles. The truth is, really experienced professionals even know that they have to be incredibly careful of where they put the ladder.
Temperature also matters when you are addressing a slate roof. Have you ever poured boiling hot water into an ice-cold cup? Chances are it shattered if you did. Well, the same can happen on a slate roof. Even if that doesn’t happen you have to be careful to avoid creating a huge avalanche of ice. A huge ice chunk that goes barreling off the roof could take half the slate or tile with it.
Handling these roofs requires the correct application of the “ice channel” technique. We steam channels into the ice to allow the ice to break away on a controlled edge and in very small pieces.
As you can imagine, not many novices know this. They haven’t taken the time to study ice dams or understand them. They think it’s a matter of hopping on the roof and blasting away with a steamer. Unfortunately, unless they have the Devil’s own luck there’s a great chance you’re going to end up paying thousands of dollars to undo the damage they’ve done.
Glass Roofing
It is downright terrifying to contemplate a novice on a glass roof. Frankly, glass roofs are nerve wracking when professionals are up there too.
It’s slow, painstaking, scary work. It’s slippery, and a technician can fall at any time. If you use too much heat it will crack or even shatter. One mishap could send a heavy block of ice right through the roof and into the customer’s living room. While we normally like customers to stay at home during an ice dam removal job we almost want to make the exception for glass roofing because we’re always afraid they’ll get hurt if something should drastically go wrong.
It hasn’t happened to our guys yet, but that’s because we have some smart daredevils who not only have the courage to get up there but the patience and intelligence to turn our customized steamers down to their lowest settings. When we work on a glass roof we have to literally massage it with lukewarm water in the gentlest possible way in order to make sure nothing goes wrong.
Nothing has gone wrong for us yet, and fortunately glass roofing is not exactly common. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t cringe at the thought of some novice leaping up there without a care. As it is, few ice dam companies have the equipment to handle the job properly. Most guys get the standard steamer, which is fine if you’re up on an asphalt roof but which doesn’t offer you the options you need to take care of a glass one.
Do Your Research!
Remember, there are a lot of ice dam companies out there who absolutely claim to be the biggest and the best. Magically, they’ve all been in business for over 20 years, too. Just make sure they’ve spent all 20 of those years removing ice dams, instead of 19 years doing gutter installations and 1 year waving a steamer around.