Emergency ice removal
Done during winter when an ice dam is already pushing water into the house. It reduces the immediate risk but changes nothing about why the dam formed, so it is a stopgap that should be followed by attic work.
Urgent? Call to reach a local roofer
Ice Dam Removal and Prevention in Schaumburg: Fix the Attic, Not Just the Ice
Safe ice removal, eave protection and attic air sealing for the low-pitch ranches and split-levels of the northwest suburbs.
- Roof repair and full replacement
- Ice dams, hail and storm damage
- Connected to an independent local roofer
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Ice Dams
Ice Dam Prevention and Repair: what it covers
Quick answer
An ice dam forms when heat from the house melts snow on the warm part of the roof and the water refreezes at the cold eave. Removal treats the symptom; prevention means air sealing, insulation and ventilation in the attic. Schaumburg Roofing connects you with an independent local roofer who can do the roof side.
Every winter, somewhere in the northwest suburbs, a roof wears a thick ridge of ice along its lower edge and a bedroom ceiling develops a wet patch just inside the exterior wall. The cause is almost never the shingles. It is heat. Warm air leaks from the living space into the attic through gaps around lights, the attic hatch and the tops of walls, warms the roof deck, and melts the snow lying on it. The meltwater runs down to the unheated overhang, refreezes, and builds a dam that traps the next round of melt behind it.
The Illinois State Climatologist gives O'Hare a 1991 to 2020 snowfall normal of 36.7 inches a year, and NWS Chicago places the first snow near 31 October and the last near 14 April. That is a long season of snow load, and every thaw inside it is an opportunity for the cycle to repeat. Low-pitch ranches and split-levels, which dominate the postwar streets of Hoffman Estates, Streamwood and Hanover Park, shed meltwater slowly and give it more time to refreeze.
Schaumburg Roofing is a call line, answered around the clock, that puts you through to an independent local roofer. The roofer removes ice where it can be done without harming the roof, protects the eave, and looks at what in the attic is feeding the problem. Call (833) 751-2102, say whether water is already inside, and describe where the ice sits.
- Service area
- Schaumburg & Cook County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer, emergencies first
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Why do ice dams form on low-pitch ranches?
A shallow roof has a long horizontal run, so meltwater moves slowly toward the eave and spends more time on a surface that can refreeze. Postwar ranches also often have thin attic insulation and few vents, so heat leaks upward. The result is steady melting at the top and freezing at the edge.
Hoffman Estates, Streamwood and Hanover Park are full of single-story houses from the late 1950s and 1960s, many of them with low rooflines and modest eaves. Insulation was often thinner when they were built, and years of wiring, can lights and bathroom fans have punched more holes in the attic floor.
None of this is a flaw in the shingles. It is a building-science problem that shows up as a roofing problem, and the fix is usually in the attic.
Is raking the snow off the roof a real solution?
Raking the lower few feet of snow with a long-handled roof rake can reduce the supply of meltwater, but it is a stopgap. It does nothing about the attic heat, can scrape granules and damage shingles if done carelessly, and must be done from the ground, never from a ladder on ice.
Think of raking as an emergency measure for a bad week. Removing the snow near the eave means less water to refreeze, and that can slow an advancing dam. It does not stop the next one.
The more important point is safety. Falling snow and ice are heavy, ladders on frozen ground slip, and a roof edge under ice is no place for a homeowner. The ice dams guide walks through what to do and what to avoid.
Does a leak from an ice dam mean the roof needs replacing?
Not necessarily. Ice dams can force water under sound shingles without damaging them. What matters is whether the boards and insulation beneath are wet, and whether the leak recurs. If the shingles are old and the dam recurs every winter, replacement with eave protection may be the long-term answer.
A roofer will usually look at the eave boards and the attic floor beneath the stain. Wet insulation loses much of its value, so replacing it is often part of the repair.
When should I call, and what do I say?
Call when water enters the house, when ice builds above a door or walkway, or when gutters are pulling away. Say whether water is inside now, where the ice sits and when it formed. The roofer decides on the visit time; this line cannot promise an arrival window.
An ice dam is a seasonal problem with a pattern. If you called last winter, say so, because a recurring dam usually means the cause has not been addressed. Photographs of the eave, the icicles and any stain are useful.
If the attic floor is visible from the hatch, describe it too: insulation depth, anything compressed, and light fixtures that open into the attic.
Warning signs
Signs you need ice dam prevention and repair
Do not chop at ice with a hammer, shovel or axe, and do not climb onto an icy roof or ladder. Falling ice can injure people below, and chopping tears shingles and gutters. Rake from the ground only, and call.
- A thick ridge of ice along the lower edge of the roof, with icicles hanging past gutters and windows
- A wet or stained ceiling just inside an exterior wall during or after a thaw
- Icicles forming in some places and not others, which points to uneven heat loss under the roof
- Frost or damp patches on the underside of the roof boards in the attic
- Gutters pulled loose or bent downward under the weight of ice
- Snow melting off the upper roof while the eaves stay buried and cold
- Attic insulation that is thin, compressed, uneven or pulled back from the eaves
Our process
How our ice dam prevention and repair visit works
Report what is happening now
Say whether water is entering the house. Active leaks come first; a roofer may cover or protect the area while the ice is dealt with, and the scheduling is the roofer's to set.
Remove ice without damaging the roof
Ice is broken or melted away from the dam in a controlled way, usually cutting channels so water can drain. Hacking at the ice with a hammer or shovel tears shingles and gutters, so a roofer who proposes to do that should be asked why.
Inspect the attic side
The roofer or an insulation specialist checks the attic floor for air leaks around lights, chimneys, plumbing stacks and the hatch, looks at the depth and evenness of insulation, and checks whether air can flow from soffit to ridge.
Plan the permanent fix in order
Air sealing comes first, then insulation, then ventilation. Adding vents to a leaky attic only draws warm air up faster, so the order matters, and the attic ventilation and insulation page explains the sequence.
Protect the eave when the roof is redone
When a roof is replaced, a self-adhering waterproof membrane can be laid along the eaves under the shingles to catch meltwater that backs up. It is a backstop, not a cure.
Options
Types and options for ice dam prevention and repair
Attic air sealing and insulation
The real cure. Sealing the gaps that let warm air into the attic and bringing insulation up to an even depth keeps the roof deck cold and the snow frozen. This is sometimes done by the roofer and sometimes by an insulation contractor.
Ventilation and eave protection
Soffit intake vents and a ridge exhaust let cold air wash the underside of the deck, while waterproof membrane at the eaves protects the boards. Both are part of a good roof replacement on a house with a history of ice.
Job stories
Typical jobs for ice dam prevention and repair
A ridge of ice and a stained bedroom ceiling on a Streamwood ranch
- What homeowners notice
- After a cold week and a thaw, a thick band of ice sits along the front eave of a low-pitch ranch and a damp patch spreads on the ceiling just inside the exterior wall. The gutter has begun to pull away from the fascia.
- What we do
- The roofer clears channels in the ice without chopping at the shingles, then looks at the attic floor and finds thin, uneven insulation and gaps around the recessed lights. The quote lists air sealing first, then insulation, then venting, with eave protection to be added at the next reroof.
- What to expect
- The owner understands that clearing the ice treated the symptom, and has a written sequence for the attic work that stops it forming again.
Cost
How much does ice dam prevention and repair cost in Schaumburg?
Ice removal is priced by labor and risk, and prevention is priced by the size of the attic. No figures are printed here, because the jobs differ so much from house to house.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Length and height of the ice | Measured on site | A long run of eave on a two-story house takes more time and safety equipment than a single-story porch edge |
| Method of removal | Chosen by the roofer | Controlled melting or chipping that protects the shingles is slower than rough chopping and costs more |
| Attic access and condition | Seen at the visit | A tight, cluttered attic with buried gaps takes longer to seal than an open one |
| Insulation shortfall | Depends on what is there | The more insulation is missing or compressed, the larger the job |
| Interior water damage | Separate trade | Wet insulation, ceilings and paint are repaired apart from the roof and attic work |
Your exact price is set by the roofer after inspection and confirmed in writing before any work starts.
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If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent ice dam prevention and repair, send the form and we'll call you back.
Cook County
Why ice dam prevention and repair is different in Northwest Chicago suburbs
Winter is the busy season for this service in the northwest suburbs, and the cause is mostly structural. Houses built between the late 1950s and the 1980s often have attics that were insulated to the standards of their day and have since been cut up by renovation, so a house can be both old and, in places, poorly sealed.
Wooded lots in Medinah, Wayne and Hoffman Estates add a second problem, since leaves and branch litter fill gutters and trap meltwater. The gutter installation and repair page covers how clogged gutters add to the damage.
Related
Related services
Attic Ventilation and Roof Insulation
The order of work that keeps heat out of the attic in winter and moisture out of it year-round, for low-pitch ranches and split-levels.
Roof Leak Repair
Leak tracing and repair at chimneys, valleys, vents and eaves on Schaumburg-area roofs, with temporary cover discussed first when water is active.
Gutter Installation and Repair
Gutter repair, reattachment and installation for wooded lots and ice-prone eaves around Medinah, Wayne and Hoffman Estates.
Where we work
Ice Dam Prevention and Repair across Cook County
- Ice Dams in Schaumburg
- Ice Dams in Hoffman Estates
- Ice Dams in Roselle
- Ice Dams in Hanover Park
- Ice Dams in Medinah
- Ice Dams in Rolling Meadows
- Ice Dams in Streamwood
- Ice Dams in Itasca
- Ice Dams in Elk Grove Village
- Ice Dams in Palatine
- Ice Dams in Arlington Heights
- Ice Dams in Bartlett
- Ice Dams in Mount Prospect
- Ice Dams in Glendale Heights
- Ice Dams in Addison
- Ice Dams in Wood Dale
- Ice Dams in Prospect Heights
- Ice Dams in Bensenville
- Ice Dams in Carol Stream
- Ice Dams in Bloomingdale
- Ice Dams in Des Plaines
- Ice Dams in Wheeling
- Ice Dams in Wayne
- Ice Dams in Buffalo Grove
- Ice Dams in Carpentersville
- Ice Dams in Glen Ellyn
- Ice Dams in South Elgin
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
Ice Dams in the Northwest Suburbs: Causes and Fixes
An ice dam is a ridge of ice at the eave that traps meltwater behind it.
FAQ
Ice Dam Prevention and Repair FAQs
What causes ice dams in Schaumburg-area houses?
Heat escaping from the living space into the attic melts the snow on the warm part of the roof, and the water refreezes at the cold eave. Air leaks, thin or uneven insulation and poor ventilation are the usual contributors.
Will a heated cable stop ice dams?
Heated cables can melt channels through ice, but they treat the effect and not the cause, and results vary. The roofer can tell you whether they make sense for a particular roofline as a temporary measure.
Is it safe to remove ice myself?
Generally no. Chopping tears shingles and gutters, and working on ladders on frozen ground or under icicles is dangerous. Raking snow from the ground is the only homeowner step most roofers would endorse.
Can the same roofer do the insulation work?
Sometimes, and sometimes the attic work is done by a separate insulation contractor. Ask the roofer who does what, and make sure the order is air sealing, then insulation, then ventilation.
Do I need an emergency visit for an ice dam?
If water is entering the house, say so on the call. The roofer decides when a visit can happen, and the line cannot promise a time. If it is only ice at the eave and nothing is leaking, a routine inspection in good weather is usually enough.