Roof snow removal and ice dam steaming.
Taking the weight off your roof and clearing ice from the eaves — with low-pressure steam that melts the ice instead of chipping at your shingles. Serving Massachusetts, Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire.
- Family-Owned Since 2014
- Low-Pressure Steam
- Owens Corning Platinum Preferred
- Fully Insured
Why It Matters
Snow is heavy. Ice is worse.
A New England winter does two things to a roof. The first is weight — wet snow is far heavier than it looks, and it accumulates faster on low-slope sections, over porches and in valleys where it slides together.
The second is the one that causes most of the damage. Heat escaping through the roof melts the underside of the snow, the meltwater runs down to the cold overhang and freezes there, and over a few cycles it builds a ridge of ice along the eaves. Once that ridge is there, the next lot of meltwater has nowhere to go. It backs up underneath the shingles, which are designed to shed water running down, not to hold it sitting still. From there it reaches the deck, the insulation and eventually the ceiling below.
That is why the first sign of an ice dam is so often a brown stain on an upstairs ceiling rather than anything you can see outside. By then the water has been getting in for a while.
What We Do
Two services, two different problems
Roof Snow Removal
Clearing accumulated snow by hand to take the load off the structure, working carefully around vents, skylights and flashing. Worth considering after heavy snowfall, after several storms without a thaw, and on low-slope roofs, porches and additions where snow piles deepest.
Ice Dam Steaming
Melting the ice ridge at the eaves with low-pressure steam, which releases the ice without striking the roof. Steam follows the contour of the shingles and flashing, so the ice comes away and the roof underneath stays intact. This is the method manufacturers accept; it is not the fastest, and that is the point. Available on its own or alongside roof snow removal.
Our Work
Recent roof snow removal
A Warning
What not to let anyone do to your roof
Ice dams bring out quick fixes, and most of them cost more than they save:
- Chipping with hammers, hatchets or chisels. Cracks shingles and bends flashing. The ice comes off; so does the roof surface.
- Pressure washing. Strips the granules that protect the shingle from sunlight, which shortens its life considerably.
- Salt or chemical pucks thrown onto the roof. Corrodes flashing, fasteners and gutters, kills whatever is planted below, and only ever melts a narrow channel.
All three can also give a manufacturer grounds to decline a warranty claim later, which is a bad trade for clearing one winter's ice.
Why Waterman
Roofers, not a snow crew
We Know What Is Under the Ice
We install these roofs the rest of the year, so we know where the flashing, valleys and vents are before we start clearing.
Owens Corning Platinum Preferred
Only about 1% of contractors qualify. It sets the standard we work to, including how ice comes off a roof.
Fully Insured
General liability and workers' compensation, with certificates provided before work begins. Winter roof work is exactly when that matters.
We Find the Cause
Ice dams are usually a ventilation or insulation problem showing itself. We will tell you what we see, so next winter is quieter.
Insurance Claims Handled
If water has got inside, we document the damage and deal with the adjuster, the same as our storm damage work.
Family-Owned Since 2014
Rated 4.9 stars across 300+ Google reviews, by homeowners across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
FAQ
Snow and Ice Questions
Snow piling up, or ice at the eaves?
Tell us what you are seeing and we will take it from there.