Ice Dam Removal in St. Joseph, MN
St. Joseph is a college town with an older core, newer neighborhoods and open country all around it. We bring low-pressure steam west on I-94 when the ice starts backing up.
Based in ClearwaterAbout half an hour west on I-94 from our Clearwater base.
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 St. Joseph
St. Joseph sits just off I-94 west of St. Cloud. The College of Saint Benedict is here, and the older part of town around it has homes that have seen a lot of winters. Newer subdivisions have filled in around the edges, and past those it's farm fields and rural homes. That spread gives us a little of everything.
We're based in Clearwater, about half an hour east. That's a bit farther than St. Cloud, so we'll be straight with you about timing when you call. Leak calls still go first, and you'll know our hourly rate and the plan before work starts.
Old houses, rentals and open fields around St. Joseph
Near downtown and the college, a lot of the houses are older two-stories and story-and-a-halfs. Many have been updated over the years, but the attics often haven't kept up. Upstairs rooms tucked under the roof, old chimneys, and decades of patched-in wiring and plumbing leave gaps where warm air leaks into the attic. That warm air melts snow from underneath, and the cold eave turns it into a dam.
Some of those older homes are rentals, and in a rental the first person to notice an ice dam leak is usually a tenant, not the owner. A stain in an upstairs bedroom can go unreported for a while. Owners who don't live on site are smart to drive by after a big snow and look for heavy icicles.
Past the newer neighborhoods, homes sit on open land where nothing slows the wind. Snow drifts deep on the downwind side of a roof and around chimneys and dormers, and those drifts feed dams faster than an even layer would. Newer houses in town have better insulation, but their valleys and garage tie-ins still collect snow and melt.
What St. Joseph owners should look for
- Stains or damp spots on sloped upstairs ceilings in older homes near downtown
- Heavy icicles on a rental after a storm, before any tenant has reported a leak
- Deep drifts on one side of a rural roof after a windy storm
- Ice building around chimneys and dormers, where drifted snow and warm air meet
How a visit goes in St. Joseph
When you call from St. Joseph, we start with the basics: where the house is, which eaves are iced and if any water has made it inside. If it's a rental, tell us how to reach the tenant. We'll talk through roof height and how much snow is up there, then give you the hourly rate and a clear plan before anyone starts. Leaks get channels steamed through the dam first so the water drains. Then we clear the dam off the edge, open the gutters and downspouts, and send before-and-after photos so an owner who couldn't be there can see the work.
Services in St. Joseph
These are the services we bring west to St. Joseph.
The same steam process on every St. Joseph 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.
St. Joseph ice dam FAQ
Don't see your question? Call 320-760-7280 and describe what you're seeing.
St. Joseph is a little farther out. How soon can you come?
We're about half an hour from our Clearwater base. If water is coming in, you're scheduled ahead of non-leak jobs, and we push for same-day when it's possible. When a storm hits the whole area at once, we'll tell you honestly where you are on the schedule.
I own a rental near the college. Do I need to be there?
No. We can do the outside work without you. If there's a leak inside, it helps if a tenant can let us look so we know where to start. We'll send you the photos when we're done.
Do you work at rural homes outside St. Joseph?
Yes. Call 320-760-7280 and tell us where you are. Open country means drifted snow, so we often clear the lower roof in the same visit as the dam.
My older house has bedrooms tucked under the roof. What causes the ice?
Rooms under the roof leave little space for insulation, and old houses have gaps around chimneys and pipes where warm air gets into the attic. That heat melts the snow, and the eave freezes it. We take the dam off with steam, and in spring we can look at where the heat is getting out.
Towns near St. Joseph 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.