Ice Dam Removal in Toronto & the GTA

Ice dams don't always look dramatic from the street, so it helps to know what to watch for after a heavy snowfall followed by milder days. The earlier you catch one, the less chance water has to get inside your walls and ceilings.

When water is dripping into the house, the urge to grab a hammer, an ice pick or a shovel is completely understandable, but it's the most common way homeowners turn a winter leak into a full roof repair. Frozen asphalt shingles are brittle. Chopping, prying or scraping cracks them, tears off granules and can puncture the underlayment beneath. Eavestroughs bend, hangers snap, and fascia boards can split.

Low-pressure steam works differently. Commercial steamers heat water to a high temperature but deliver it at low pressure, so the steam melts and cuts through ice without blasting the shingle surface. Our crews carve channels through the dam so trapped water can drain, then clear the ice in sections and open up frozen eavestroughs and downpipes. It is slower than chipping, but it removes the ice without creating new damage.

Pressure washers are not a substitute. High-pressure water strips granules off shingles, can drive water under them, and creates a serious fall hazard on an already icy roof.

If an ice dam is actively leaking, there are a few safe steps you can take indoors while you wait for a crew. Your priority is limiting interior damage and staying off the roof.

Once the ice is gone, it's worth checking for hidden damage. Water that backed up under shingles may have soaked the roof deck, attic insulation and the top of exterior walls. Wet insulation loses much of its effectiveness and can stay damp for weeks, encouraging mould growth in the attic or inside wall cavities.

Outside, the weight and expansion of ice frequently pulls eavestroughs out of alignment, bends hangers, cracks downpipe elbows and loosens fascia. If the ice was severe, a spring roof inspection will catch lifted shingles, damaged flashing or soft decking before the next big rain.

Removing an ice dam solves this winter's problem. Preventing the next one means tackling the conditions that created it. In most GTA homes, that comes down to three things: heat escaping into the attic, inadequate ventilation, and drainage that can't keep up.

Air-sealing and topping up attic insulation keeps heat in the house where it belongs. Clear, balanced soffit and roof vents keep the roof deck cold so snow melts evenly instead of in patches. Clean, correctly sloped eavestroughs and open downpipes give meltwater a way out. For sections that still ice up because of roof design (valleys, north-facing eaves, low-slope porch roofs), self-regulating heat cables keep a drainage path open all winter.

Many Ontario home insurance policies cover sudden and accidental water damage caused by ice dams, but coverage varies widely and some policies exclude damage linked to lack of maintenance. Always check your own policy and talk to your broker. Documenting the damage with photos, keeping invoices for emergency removal, and acting quickly to limit further damage generally helps any claim. We can provide written documentation of the work we perform on request.