All too often homeowners don’t suspect a troublesome ice dam is on their roof until water is pouring in through the ceiling. Recognizing an ice dam before it turns into an emergency is a good way to save money. It’s also a sure way to avoid a leaky home, damaged personal property, contractors & insurance companies, and all kinds of homeowner unpleasantness.
Your position as a homeowner is to do your due diligence at preventing ice dams, not at removing them, leave that to the pros. Once an ice dam has developed, you need to reach out to an ice dam removal professional. A good ice dam company is a fully insured professional with the right steaming equipment and skills that can efficiently and safely remove an ice dam and not damage your roof.
There are only a few good ice dam professionals in most major metro areas who know exactly what they’re doing. You need a professional who has many years of ice dam removal experience. Removing ice dams is a dangerous, complex, professional job, requiring specialized equipment, and training when it is done properly. The devil is in the details, it also requires special general liability ice dam insurance.
If you’re going to hire someone to work upon your roof in the middle of winter you owe it to yourself to make sure they’re the kind of people who can and will get the job done properly and safely the first time. Due diligence is essential if you want to pick an ice dam removal company that will save you money and heartache in the long run, rather than cost you more of it.
There are questions you can ask over the phone or you can go online and look up information about ice dam removal companies. If you know what to ask and what to look for then you will be assured success in your choice of a good ice dam company.
You’re wise to want to know what makes a good ice dam removal company. Unfortunately, it is a competitive business and there are those ice dam companies out there that dress up as ice dam removal professionals and sound great over the phone. But often they make promises they can’t keep.
Steer clear of anyone who tries to give you an estimate over the phone. Say no thank you from anyone willing to drive to your home and provide you with a free estimate. It is essentially impossible to tell how long ice dam removal will take without physically getting up on your roof and removing the snow that is covering the ice dams. Even then it’s tough to give an accurate estimate. Ice dams can present problems, puzzles, and pitfalls.
Be prepared, ice dam removal done the right way, is not about picking the cheapest ice dam company. This may not be what you want to hear however hiring an ice dam removal company that you can trust to remove your ice dam safely and efficiently is worth the cost.
Ice dam removal does attract businesses that want to run a get-rich-quick scheme. Because there’s no requisite ice dam removal license, little regulation, and few consumer-advocates, it’s up to the homeowner to practice due diligence. Some people who claim to offer ice dam removal have little experience, improper equipment, and can do a lot of damage.
Some companies use misleading certifications to lull customers into false confidence. Reading our following articles of how to find a good ice dam company will help ensure you get real pros who will get the job done right.
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