Three simple steps to getting your ice dam problems fixed:
One: We visit, take notes and photos and discuss your ice dam issues.
Two: We generate the most detailed estimate you will receive, outlining exactly what products we’re using and how the installation will occur.
Three: Our experienced techs install your ice dam prevention system in a day. Easy.
Heat Tape Installation Season:
We can install heat tape year-round. The Ice Dam Company is the only company in the Twin Cities that regularly installs heat cables directly after steaming ice dams off the roof. We have it down to a science. In fact, installing heat cables immediately after roof ice dam steaming is a great idea because our clients prevent same-season call backs for additional ice dam removal. Speaking of science, did you know that we are a direct-to-consumer manufacturer of heat cable? It’s true and we sell it to home owners and installers all over the country.
Heat tape installation project Edina Minnesota Ice Dam Company
Our products are UL Listed, come with an industry leading 10 year warranty and is built to last. This is not your typical big-box retailer heat cable. Frankly, that stuff is a joke and you should NEVER allow anyone to install it on your roof. Our self-regulating heat tape runs on 6 watts per foot and, as the name suggests, demands more energy when the outdoor temperatures are cooler and less when it is warmer. Our products are sold all over the United States because people have come to recognize our company as an industry leader in the development and installation of the finest ice dam heat cable products in the world. Or, simply go to Amazon. We sell a ton of it there as well under the brand name HeatTapePro.
Ice Dam Company Heat Cable – Self-Regulating, Commercial Grade
We are often asked about heat cable and heat tape. Is it a good idea? Does it prevent ice dams? Are there better solutions. As with most topics, the answers are highly dependent on a number of variables. We are going to keep this post simple.
No other company in the Midwest does a higher volume of ice dam prevention work than The Ice Dam Company. Our association with Kuhl’s Contracting, a premier exteriors and insulation company in Minneapolis results in many jobs that combine home performance enhancements with top-notch roofing services. Likewise, The Ice Dam Company also installs a lot of heat cable here in our home town.
If you live in the greater Minneapolis – St. Paul metro area, you’re in luck! The nations largest installer of premium ice dam and gutter ice prevention systems is your neighbor and we’re excited to hear from you!
Typical heat cable system installed, melt your worries away
If you’re tired of ice dams on your home we can help. Contact us today to get your free roof de-icing system estimate. Resolving your ice dams and gutter ice issues happens in three easy steps:
Step One:
We visit your home to discuss your ice dam issues and gather essential information
Step Two:
We go back to the mothership and create the finest, most detailed estimate you will receive. To see why this matters, read below.
Step Three:
Our experienced crew installs your new ice dam prevention system in a day
Why Choose The Ice Dam Company for your Heat Cable Installation
The Ice Dam Company is owned by Steve Kuhl, owner of Kuhl’s Contracting and Kuhl Design+Build. Our family of companies has been working on homes in the Twin Cities for over 35 years. We have the most triangulated understanding of ice dams, home performance and heat cable systems in the United States. As a result we are the largest installer of ice dam prevention systems around.
We compete against a lot of companies that call themselves experts but in fact are simply installing EasyHeat or comparable big-box store cables. That’s not how we roll (forgive the pun). We install the finest ice dam prevention system in North America made by Radiant Solutions Company.
How Much Does Roof and Gutter Heat Cable Cost?
Good question. The cost to install ice dam prevention heat tape depends mostly on two factors: The type of cable and the amount of cable. That said, we can provide you with some average costs for heat cable systems in Minneapolis.
$938 Install self-regulating heat cable roof de-icing system on one story home with small area of roof and a 10 foot gutter and downspout
$1,500 Cost to put in a 150 foot Heat Tape PRO heat cable on a 200 square foot flat rubber roof (project completed in Wayzata, MN)
$3,200 Price for gutter and roof heat tape installed around 4 scuppers and 4 corresponding commercial downspouts, three stories high
$4750 Install four sections of heat cable on home, including two roof valleys, adjacent gutter systems and one snow sensor and heat cable controller
Heat Tape versus Heat Cable: What’s the Difference?
We get asked a lot about the difference between electric heat tape and electric heat cable. The answer is that there is no difference. Both descriptions apply to apply to a category of ice dam prevention cable that is run, usually in a zig-zag pattern, along the affected eaves of a home/building (See install info here). The height, or distance that pattern runs up the roof is determined by the depth of the over hang on the home. The deeper the overhang, the higher the pattern needs to travel.
Not all heat tape is created equal. Think about the difference between a Pinto and an Audi. Sure, they are both cars, but they are pretty different in terms of quality. Honesty alert: Some heat tape is absolute crap. It’s the stuff sold at big box stores under the names Easy Heat and Frost King, to name a few. It costs about 1/3 that of the heavy duty material we install every day. Guess what the difference in labor cost is to install crappy heat cable versus quality heat cable? Zero. It costs zero dollars more to install long-lasting, efficient ice dam heat tape than it does the cheap stuff. We replace thousands of feet of lousy ice dam heat tape every year in the Twin Cities market. Time and time again we see the cheap cables have failed because they have either burned out or have deteriorated due to normal UV exposure.
The moral of the story is please, don’t buy cheap ice dam prevention cable. It won’t last long and it costs far more to operate than quality cable.
We Install Heat Cable on Any Roof or Gutter System
Given our vast experience as roofing contractors over the past 35 years, we are capable of installing cable on any home, business or industrial facility imaginable. We have seen (and done) it all. We work on asphalt and composite shingles, flat and low-slope roofs, membranes, TPO, roll roofing, torch down roofing, standing seam metal roofs, corrugated metal roofing, R-Panel, flat seam, hand-soldered metal, cedar shake and shingle, spanish tile, concrete tile, natural and synthetic slate, synthetic shakes, and on and on. If you want heat tape installed on it, we can and have done it before.
Well, it appears that we may be out of the woods in terms of this difficult winter. Then again, we did get 14” of snow in mid-April of last year… Thankfully, that doesn’t appear to be in the cards this year!
Our ice dam removal crews did a record amount of ice dam steaming projects this February. We had more than two thousand people call with concerns about leaking. That’s great for our bottom line but it’s not great for homeowners who probably wished they did something more satisfying with their hard-earned dollars. Unlike most ice dam removal companies, we try our best to help people avoid calling us in the future through our ice dam prevention division. In fact, we install more heat cables and heat tape than anyone else in Minnesota.
We offer installation of commercial-grade self-regulating heat cable and heat tape to the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan areas. We use Heat Tape Pro, made by Radiant Solutions Company. This product is far superior to brands such as EasyHeat or Frost King, or just about anything you might find at your local hardware store.
We also integrate with Kuhl’s Contracting on ice dam prevention projects involving new insulation, ventilation and roofing, which rounds out our comprehensive approach to solving the problem of ice dams.
If you are interested in getting an estimate for heat cable installation, click here. Our systems carry a five year warranty and are guaranteed to prevent water intrusion as the result of ice dams.
Posted in Ice Dams, Misc. | Comments Off on 2018-19 Ice Dam Season Comes to a Close
It goes without saying that companies who don’t invest in the best equipment for Ice Dam Removal have a differing opinion about it. They –of course– want to defend their equipment and attempt to dispel the facts about steamers. Some even go as far to say that they have special equipment that they modified themselves, to which conventional wisdom surrounding ice dam steamers does not apply.
They’ll even defend their position by claiming that we are the ones making stuff up because we don’t have the equipment that they have. They’ll say it doesn’t matter that their machines have triggers, or tips (both hallmark characteristics of pressure washers). We say it does, but to us, it’s simple: just ask the experts.
American Pressure Inc. is a leading pressure washer distributor in the midwest. They sell many different kinds of pressure washers. They also sell ice dam steaming machines. In their own expert opinion, they will only recommend a true steam machine for ice dam removal and warn of using high temperature pressure washers.
Demonstrating the Differences
American Pressure Inc demonstrates the differences in pressure from a pressure washer and a True Steam Machine and the impact it has on the applying surface
American Pressure Inc Demonstrating how damaging Pressure Washer can be on Shingles
The above videos show that the people who know the most about pressure washers know that they are not a good tool to use when removing ice dams because of the potential damage they can cause. The video below shows ho well a true steam machine cuts through ice without spraying a bunch of water everywhere:
Cutting through ice with an Ice Dam Steamer
Lastly – here’s a spot from Fox News where they talk to American Pressure about Ice Dam Removal. at the end of the segment they warn about companies that say they are using Steamers, but really are using high temperature pressure washers. “…You know it’s a pressure washer when it has a trigger gun and a high pressure tip.”
Beware of Companies who claim they have Steamers, but do not.
The Ice Dam Company only uses true steamers to remove ice dams, and we are a member of IDSAFE – an organization that certifies Ice Dam removal companies who use real steamers to remove ice dams.
When heavy snow starts turning to ice on rooftops, we often think about the potential damage that can be caused to our homes. Sometimes, the potential for personal injury is also a concern. As was the case for one boy in Minneapolis who was injured by falling ice.
The boy is OK and recovering, however it highlights the fact that when ice builds up without abatement, that it can be more then just your home that can be at risk.
We ask that homeowners be careful when assessing their ice dam problem on their roofs. Stay clear of the fall area for ice and never, ever try to climb onto an icy roof to try deal with your ice dam if you are not a trained roof ice professional.
We recently visited an ice dam removal project completed by some ice dam removal guys in 2014. What we found was a bit shocking but not unusual. Specifically, there was a tremendous amount of granular loss from the asphalt shingles done during the ice dam removal process. This is exactly what happens when the wrong equipment is used.
It is imperative to understand what equipment should be used for removing ice dams. There are two types of machines commonly used; ice dam steamers and high-temperature pressure washers. This may seem like an esoteric point, but the hiring the wrong ice dam removal guys, i.e., those who use pressure washers, can be a grave mistake and one that is often not noticed until years later. Unless you are quite educated, knowing the difference between a high-temp pressure washer and a steamer is virtually impossible. Adding to the challenge faced by homeowners is the fact that two of the largest ice dam removal companies in Minnesota outright misrepresent the equipment they use. Yes, they lie. They call their machines steamers when in fact they are pressure washers. Here is a link to a deeper discussion on the topic if you are interested. You can also visit the Ice Dam Steaming Association for Education if you would really like to geek out. For the sake of total simplicity, however, there is one very easy question to ask that determines which machine is scheduled to show up at your home for your project:
Does the machine have a triggered gun or not? It’s that simple. If it has a trigger it is a pressure washer. If it doesn’t, it is a steamer. Period.
Attached here is a letter from one of the countries largest ice dam steamer and pressure washer sales company, American Pressure. In a effort to debunk the falsities being spread by greedy and unscrupulous ice dam removal guys, we asked for a clean answer to the trigger question. They have no incentive whatsoever to lie because they sell a ton of both types of equipment.
How Does Eave Style and Construction Method Affect Ice Dam Formation and Severity?
Eave Construction and Heat Transfer
We have discussed the relationship between eave depth and ice dams previously (Case Study #10). Now let’s look into how different construction methodologies affect the likelihood and severity of ice dams in residential and light commercial construction.
For obvious reasons, eaves are a central topic in the world of ice dams. After all, that’s where 98% of ice dams occur, with the other slice of happening in areas including valleys, flat roofs and low pitch roof pans. There is a reason why older homes are affected more by ice dams then newer homes. That relates primarily to the nature of how the eaves are assembled.
Our grandparents didn’t understand the importance of insulation and ventilation as it relates to the eave. (They were busy thinking about wars and famine). In short, there needs to be enough room between the top plate of the wall and the underside of the roof decking to allow for adequate insulation and ventilation. We know that ice dams are created in large part by the escape of heat from the interior, conditioned spaces of a home into areas where that heat is not supposed to be. Namely, it is not supposed to be in the roof cavity next to the roof deck. Homes with less insulation near the eaves are troubled with ice dams far more than those with adequate insulation and ventilation. In Diagram B, we see an example of common eave construction in modern homes. Notice that the distance between the top plate and the roof deck is quite generous. This is commonly referred to as the heel height. In Diagram A, which shows a hand-framed eave, there is virtually no space for insulation or ventilation. Consequently, heat can easily pass from the room below to the roof system, melting the snow above.
Don’t despair if you have old school eaves. There are options to help prevent or at least minimize the likelihood of ice dam problems in the future. Those can be broken down into two broad categories; Architectural and non-Architectural Solutions. In short, Architectural solutions involve modifications to the thermal performance of the home, including insulation, ventilation and, most importantly, sealing air-leaks into the attic or roof truss cavities. The most effective Non-Architectural solution is simple, cheap and effective. Install a high-quality, self-regulating heat tape system on affected areas.
Ask any experienced residential designer, classic architectural styles are difficult to execute with adequate heel heights. Talented designers can pull it off, but they need to think outside the box. High-end, architecturally refined homes don’t look right with clunky, new construction eaves.
How to Tell if You Have Adequate Roof Ventilation in Your Soffits
Proper roof ventilation is an essential component of ice dam prevention. It is possible to get ice dams even when you have normal or even above average insulation in your attic. Passive heat loss will build up in your attic due to the stack effect (tendency for heat to rise). Therefore it’s important to let the attic breath so that warm air can be evacuated properly. Here is a quick way to check your attic for proper soffit, or eave ventilation:
Go up into your attic and look around in the dark. Here is what you should see:
If you can see a lot of light through your eaves (A) you have half of your attic ventilation addressed. The other half is the ventilation up near the peak of the roof either in the form of box vents mounted to the roof deck or an open ridge vent along the majority of the ridge. It’s common to see the eave ventilation clogged with blown in insulation. Another common hindrance to proper eave ventilation is compressed or collapsed air chutes. This Eden Prairie home had problems with air-sealing and attic ventilation. We fixed the problems.
Here is why it makes sense to hire professional roofers to remove your ice dams. It’s true. Most of our competitors are not roofers, nor do they understand residential construction.
Ice dam company professional roofers, professional results
Today one of our guys found a massive install error on a low-pitch rolled asphalt roof in Minneapolis. The client had no idea, and nor would any of our competitors who are not construction pros. The original roof installer failed to use adhesive between the roofing plies! (Photo 3, Point E) and no ice and water membrane whatsoever (Photo 3, Point F). That’s a major no-no. They also had all of the penetrations negatively lapped (sequenced into the asphalt improperly) (Photo 4, Point D). Good catch Paul!
The client with the roof leak in Minneapolis illustrated here called due to water pouring in through a light fixture under Point A, Photo 1. This by itself is not unusual. Roof leaks caused by ice dams often manifest many feet away from the source; sometimes a full story or two below the source. My initial theory was that water was traveling down the exterior wall of the shed dormer shown in Photo A. As it turns out, there was something more pernicious happening. The water was being pushed under an improperly flashed plumbing stack (Photo 2, Point B). While exploring the area our crews also noted the lack of lap sealant between the roofing plies (Photo 2, Point B and Photo 3, Point E).
This homeowner had used one of our largest competitors in town in 2014 to remove an ice dam (see highest ranking Google result). Guess what? They said nothing about the roofing defect. No big surprise because frankly, how would they know? They aren’t construction professionals, just ice dam removal guys who squirt ice off roofs with high-temperature pressure washers (not steamers!) (Click here to see the difference). We have seen this exact scenario play out countless times and to be honest, it’s frustrating to watch.
Ice dam company finds roof leaks
The Ice Dam Company is in fact the only company in the country with the in-house chops to diagnose and address problems with insulation, ventilation, roofing, sheet metal and other exterior envelope components. We also install miles of self-regulating heat cable each year on homes where the aforementioned architectural solutions are not appropriate or feasible. Most ice dam removal guys just use their pressure washers to squirt ice off the roof and that’s the end of it. For us, ice dam removal projects are often just the beginning of a longterm relationship with our clients. We end up remodeling their kitchen or adding onto their house through our sister company Kuhl Design + Build, a nationally recognized, award winning remodeling firm. The Ice Dam Company is a division of Kuhl’s Contracting, the third largest residential construction and remodeling company in Minnesota. There is a huge amount of cross-pollenization between the organizations. Each benefits from the resources and talents of the other. It’s fun to witness.
Ice dam company fixes roof leaks caused by ice dams and construction defects
How to Prevent Ice Dams on Your Home – Answers from the Experts
Overview
To be frank, the entire concept of ice dam prevention is a little bit disingenuous. There are certain circumstances where even the most well constructed, well insulated and ventilated roof system will get ice dams. Those situations are rare, but they do occur. When we talk about ‘prevention’, what we are realistically discussing is the field of work aimed at either reducing the likelihood of ice dams or minimizing the impact of ice dams if they do occur.
Two Approaches to Ice Dam Prevention:
We break ice dam prevention into two broad categories; Architectural and Non-Architectural. Architectural solutions involve modifications to the existing structure to alter the problematic thermal characteristics that are contributing causes of ice dams. In contrast, Non-Architectural solutions are comprised of the work done to minimize the impact of unwanted roof and gutter ice accumulations when they are likely to begin.
Architectural Approach
It’s seldom the case that a single home medication, once implemented, will permanently fix an ice dam problem. More often than not ice dam prevention involves a combination of changes in order to have a significant impact.
A very standard ice dam prevention project for The Ice Dam Company might involve enhancing or replacing the insulation in the attic or roof system, adding ventilation and sealing all of the air-leaks between the heated spaces and the attic and roof framing. Usually, this combination of endeavors yields good results. Sometimes it is necessary to alter the roofing system itself. Normally, this means installing a single ply roof system such as hand-soldered copper pans or a rubber membrane. Single ply roof systems are quite resilient in the face of ice dams but they will to work in all areas due to aesthetics. We will dig further into each of the three basic architectural solutions in other Case Studies.
Certain ice dam creation factors cannot be addressed through Architectural solutions such as insulation, ventilation, air-sealing or roof system enhancements. Case Study #19 discusses the relationship between the sun and ice dams. We recently installed heat tape on a 6 year old, $3.8 million dollar home. The homeowner had spared no expense relative to energy efficiency in the original design and construction. That was not the issue. The problem was simply that the sun was melting the snow on an exposed roof plane higher on the home which resulted in melt water running down to a cold eave area that was hidden from the sun. There it would re-freeze in cycles to create an ice dam that kept coming back year after year.
Non-Architectural Approach
In terms of ice dam prevention, there is a small set of options available that fall outside of the Architectural solutions. These involve systems to manage snow and ice accumulations as they develop on a roof. The most popular Non-Architectural ice dam solution is heat cables. Otherwise known as heat tape and roof deicing, heat cables are wires that warm up in response to electrical current. Typically, heat cables are installed in a serpentine or zig-zag pattern on a roof along the eaves. To be clear, heat cables do not resolve the underlying issues related to why ice dams are happening rather they help manage the issue of unwanted ice accumulations when the conditions are ripe for their formation. A common complaint about heat tape is that it does not address the real issues causing the ice dams. This complaint is justified because it is true. That said, heat cable systems can be installed on a home for a fraction of the cost of traditional Architectural solutions. Many homeowners are not in the position to spend $5,000 to $25,000 for Architectural ice dam solutions making the idea of a $1,000 heat cable system very appealing. We do both approaches every day.
We would be remiss in not mentioning the very most basic thing you can do to minimize the likelihood of ice dams; Roof shoveling. Diligently removing the snow from your roof can greatly reduce the likelihood of ice dams. Unfortunately, some roofs are too high or have areas inaccessible to the average homeowner, making roof snow removal an ineffective approach to guaranteed ice dam prevention. Removing all of the snow from the roof planes affected by the ice dams is very important. See the Ice Dam Company Case Study #3 that discusses a phenomenon called the ‘Double Dam’.
Removing Ice Dams in Minnesota: We Serve Many Areas in the Minneapolis Metro
The Ice Dam company based out of Hopkins, Minnesota, about 5 miles west of Minneapolis. We've done gutter ice removal, roof ice removal and ice dam removal all over the Twin Cities, on new houses and old ones.
Some of the more frequent places we've done ice dam services are:
