Ice Dam Prevention & Repair in Anchorage & the Mat-Su Valley
We clear the snow that feeds ice dams, repair the damage they leave, fix the ventilation, and show you where the heat is getting out. We don’t steam the ice off.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice at the eaves that holds meltwater on the roof, where it can back up under the roofing and into your walls and ceilings. Preventing them means less house heat getting into the attic, ventilation that keeps the roof deck cold, and ice and water membrane at the eaves to stop the water that backs up. We handle the roof side of that, and we’ll show you where the heat is getting out.
How an ice dam forms
It starts inside the house, not on the roof.
- Heat gets into the attic, through gaps around lights, the hatch, and plumbing and chimney chases, or straight through thin insulation.
- The upper roof melts. A warm deck melts the snow sitting on it, even on a day well below freezing.
- The eaves stay cold. Meltwater runs down to them and refreezes. Every day it runs, the ridge of ice gets taller.
- Water backs up. The next melt pools behind the dam and works up under the roofing, past the wall line, and into the house.
Outside, you’ll see icicles and a band of ice along the eaves. Inside, it’s stains on ceilings and exterior walls near the eaves, and frost in the attic.
Why houses in Anchorage and the Valley get ice dams
Months of cold and a roof full of snow give escaping heat a long time to work. When one house on a street has ice dams and the next doesn’t, look at the attic and the shape of the roof:
- Air leaks around can lights, the attic hatch, and plumbing and chimney chases
- Thin insulation that lets heat straight through to the deck
- Weak ventilation, short on intake at the eaves or exhaust up high. Attic ventilation has the numbers.
- Valleys and dormers, where the roof carries the most water and snow piles into corners
The longer version, snow load included, is in our guide to snow load and ice dams.
How to prevent ice dams
A new roof alone doesn’t fix ice dams. The fix is split between the attic and the roof.
In the attic
Air sealing at lights, the hatch, and the chases. Insulation that isn’t thin. Balanced ventilation, intake at the eaves and exhaust near the ridge, so the deck stays cold. We fix the ventilation and show you where the air leaks are. We don’t sell insulation.
On the roof
Ice and water membrane at the eaves when the roof is replaced, from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, or 36 in Anchorage. And clearing the snow after big storms, so there’s less to melt.
What to do about an ice dam right now
- Don’t chip or hammer at it. That breaks shingles and dents metal, and it puts you on a ladder next to ice.
- Don’t pressure wash it. You’re adding water to the one spot that’s already freezing it.
- Don’t climb up. Snow over an icy eave is how people get hurt.
- Rake from the ground. A roof rake can pull the snow off the bottom few feet, so there’s less to melt. Stand clear of what slides.
- Call us to clear the roof. Fall protection, plastic tools, and a thin layer left so nothing touches the roofing. Roof snow removal →
Heat cable melts a path through the ice so water can drain. It doesn’t fix the heat loss that makes the dam, and we don’t install it.
Ice at your eaves right now?
Text a photo and we’ll tell you what we see.
Ice dam leak repair after breakup
Ice dam leaks show up in any thaw, and a lot of them in March and April, when the melt finds every gap the ice opened. The damage is usually at the eaves: lifted shingles, torn underlayment, rotted fascia, and stains on the ceiling below. We find the source, photograph it, and price the fix in writing. Roof repair →
If water got inside, it may be a claim. We photograph the damage, meet the adjuster on site, and write a scope that matches it. Insurance claims →
We clear snow and fix ice dam damage across Anchorage, from Muldoon to Turnagain, and in Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer, Big Lake, and Girdwood.
What ice dam work costs
Each piece is priced on its own, in writing, before we start. Snow clearing depends on the roof’s size and pitch, how deep and dense the snow is, access, and ice. Repairs depend on what the melt uncovers at the eaves. Ventilation depends on what the attic needs. If the cheapest fix is the right one, that’s the one we’ll tell you about.
Every job starts with a free inspection.
We check the roof and the attic. Photo report and a written price within 24 hours, and no pressure after it.
Ice dam questions
The questions we get most often about ice dams in Anchorage and the Valley. Don’t see yours? Text us and a roofer answers.
Text my rooferWe don’t steam them off. We clear the snow that feeds them, so there’s less meltwater behind the dam, then repair what it damaged, fix the ventilation, and add ice and water membrane at the eaves when the roof is replaced.
Not by itself. A new roof over a warm attic gets ice dams too. What a replacement adds is ice and water membrane at the eaves, valleys, and penetrations, and ridge and intake ventilation sized to the attic. Together with air sealing and insulation, that’s what fixes the problem.
They can. Ice dams start with a warm attic, and that happens under any roofing, metal included. The fix is the same as on a shingle roof: air sealing, insulation, and ventilation, with ice and water membrane at the eaves as the backstop.
Yes, repairs happen year-round. Some materials won’t seal below freezing, so a winter repair is sometimes a proper temporary fix, with the permanent one done in the first warm stretch. We tell you which one you’re getting and why, and you get photos either way.
Often, when an ice dam leak causes sudden damage inside: stained ceilings, wet walls and insulation. The dam itself, and wear or age on the roof, usually aren’t covered. Photograph everything before cleanup, keep receipts for any temporary fix, and call your agent. You own the claim, and we document the roof side.
What you can reach from the ground, starting at the eaves. That helps, but the melt behind a dam comes from snow over the whole heated roof. Use a roof rake, stay out from under whatever slides, and don’t climb onto the roof. For the rest of it, call us.
Let’s find out why your roof makes ice
Text a photo of the eaves or book an inspection. You get a photo report and a written price within 24 hours, and no pressure after it.