ICE DAM REMOVAL
Ice dam removal for Ellensburg, Yakima and Kittitas roofs
Safe ice and snow removal, a damage check when the ice is off, and straight advice on keeping it from coming back.
Chapter 01
How an ice dam builds on a Central Washington roof
Snow piles up, the roof warms from the house below, and the melt runs down until it reaches the cold edge of the eave and freezes. Run that cycle through a few Kittitas Valley freeze and thaw nights and you get a thick ridge of ice right where the water needs to drain.
Once that ridge is there, new meltwater has nowhere to go. It backs up under the shingles and finds its way into walls and ceilings. The warning signs are easy to spot from the ground: long, heavy icicles, a band of ice along the roof edge, brown stains on a ceiling, peeling paint, drips while snow is still on the roof, or gutters pulling away from the house.
Take it seriously the day you notice it. An ice dam will usually melt when the weather warms up, but water keeps backing up under the roof the whole time, and that is when the leaks and shingle damage happen.
Drone view looking straight down at a green metal T-shaped roof under snow
How we take ice off without hurting the roof
Every job starts with a look at the roof, the gutters and the snow load, so we know where the ice has built up and whether water has already gotten in. Every roof is different, so the removal plan follows the house and how much ice is there.
For the ice itself we use professional equipment, including low-pressure steam systems. That takes the ice off without gouging your shingles or tearing at your gutters. Please skip the axe, the hammer and the bag of rock salt. They do more harm than good to the roof, the gutters and the plants below.
When the ice is gone we check the roof and gutters for damage or leaks before we leave. We also clear excess snow when it is the reason the ice keeps forming, and we respond to emergency leaks. Cost depends on the size of the dam, how much snow is up there and how easy it is to reach, so we inspect first and give you a clear estimate before any work begins.
Chapter 03
Keeping the ice from coming back
Removing an ice dam fixes this winter. Fixing why it formed is what keeps it from returning. After the ice is off we tell you what we saw, and when it makes sense we recommend practical changes like better attic ventilation or more insulation, so less heat leaks up under the snow.
On metal roofs, our Glacier Guard System is built to protect against damage from sliding snow and ice. Less snow load on the roof also means less to melt and refreeze, which is why snow removal is part of the job, not an extra.
If the ice has already done its damage, we are also the crew that repairs it. One Google reviewer who had roof damage from an ice dam said the work was handled professionally and that we communicated at every step.
"Every detail was professionally handled." Sharon Van Vleck, Google review
Winter roofs we have built in the valley
Green metal over cedar shake is one of the most common sights on a snowy Kittitas ridge, and it is a roof we know how to look after.
2025Ice comes off. The shingles and gutters stay.
That is the goal of every ice dam job we take on: remove the blockage, protect the roofing underneath it, and leave a clean yard. If you see an ice dam, call before the next thaw and let us look at it.