Ice Dam Removal in Clearwater, MN
Ice Dam 911 is based in Clearwater, where the Clearwater River meets the Mississippi. When a dam starts backing water under your shingles, the crew is starting from close by.
Based in ClearwaterThis is home. Our crew heads out from right here in Clearwater.
Leak calls firstWater coming in? Calls get scheduled ahead of planned work.
Steam onlyLow pressure. No hammers, chisels, salt or pressure washers.
Hourly, quoted firstYou get the rate and a clear plan before any work starts.
Ice dam removal in Clearwater
This is our home town. The steam rig, the ladders and the crew all head out from Clearwater, so a roof in town or out on a gravel road nearby is about as close as a job gets for us. That doesn't mean neighbors skip the line. Leak calls get scheduled first no matter where they are. It just means less drive time between your call and our ladders.
The work is the same here as anywhere we go. Low-pressure steam through a fanned wand. Drainage channels cut first, then the roof edge cleared without chopping at shingles, then the gutters and downspouts opened. No hammers, no chisels, no rock salt and no pressure washer.
Where Clearwater roofs ice up
Clearwater is a mix. There's the older part of town near the river and the original downtown, with homes that have been added onto over the years. Then there are the newer subdivisions that filled in as the town grew along I-94. Each kind of house ices up for its own reasons. Older homes tend to have thin attic insulation and gaps around chimneys and plumbing stacks. Newer homes tend to have more roof: more valleys, more corners and more places for snow to pile up.
Around town, a lot of houses sit on open lots or acreages next to farm fields. Wind across that open ground drifts snow deep on the downwind side of a roof, and drifted snow is exactly what feeds a dam. After a windy storm you'll often see one side of a house loaded and the other side nearly bare.
Then there are the trees. The river valley holds big ones, and a roof that sits in shade all day doesn't melt evenly. The sunny side runs water down to a shaded, frozen edge, where it stops and builds. Some lake places to the south toward Annandale add their own trouble. A cabin built for summer and later turned into a year-round home often has very little between the heated rooms and the roof deck.
What to watch for around Clearwater
- Heavy icicles on one side of the house only, usually the side where the wind drifted the snow
- Ice building in the valleys and inside corners of newer homes with busy rooflines
- Dark spots or drips on the ceiling below an older addition, where the old roof meets the new one
- Icicles or a wet ceiling at a converted lake cabin, especially above a bathroom or kitchen
How a visit goes in Clearwater
When you call from Clearwater, we'll ask what you're seeing, where the ice is and whether any water is getting inside. We'll talk through roof height, pitch and how much snow is up there. Before anyone climbs a ladder, you'll know our hourly rate and what we plan to do. If it's leaking, we start by steaming channels through the dam so the water has a way off. Then the rest of the dam comes off the roof edge, the gutters and downspouts get cleared, and you get before-and-after photos.
Services in Clearwater
From our Clearwater base, these are the five things we do all winter.
The same steam process on every Clearwater roof.
Steam melts a path through the ice so trapped water can drain before larger sections come off.
Cut drainage channels
Low-pressure steam opens channels through the dam, giving trapped water a path to drain.
Clear the roof edge
With a drainage path open, steam separates ice along the roofline without chopping at shingles.
Clear gutters and downspouts
Packed gutters and downspouts come out last, so the water has somewhere to go.
Clearwater ice dam FAQ
Don't see your question? Call 320-760-7280 and describe what you're seeing.
You're based in Clearwater. Does that mean you get here faster?
The drive is usually short, yes. But leak calls are scheduled first for everyone, here or anywhere else. We try for same-day when we can and respond as quickly as conditions allow. When you call, we'll give you a real time, not a guess.
Do you work outside Clearwater city limits?
Yes. Rural homes, acreages and lake places around Clearwater are close to home for us. Call 320-760-7280 and tell us where you are.
My newer house has a lot of valleys and corners. Why does ice always build there?
A valley collects snow from two roof faces and drains melt from both. If warm air is leaking into the attic nearby, that's where the water runs and refreezes. We clear the valley and the eave below it, and we'll point out the pattern so you can look at the heat side of it in spring.
Should I try to knock the ice off myself until you get here?
No. Don't climb onto an icy roof, and keep clear of falling ice. Hammering at a dam cracks frozen shingles and can tear gutters loose. If water is coming in, move what you can, catch the drips and call us.
Towns near Clearwater we also serve.
Get ahead of roof ice.
Schedule ice dam removal, or call now if water is coming into your home. Don't climb onto an icy roof. Keep clear of falling ice and let a pro take it from here.