After a heavy Ottawa winter, the snow and ice sitting on a roof can add up to a serious load – and it is the main driver of ice dams and the leaks that follow. Getting up there yourself is dangerous, and the wrong tools gouge the roof. We remove rooftop snow safely, reducing the structural load and clearing the eaves so meltwater drains instead of backing up under the shingles and into your home.
Deep, dense snow and ice are heavy – clearing it takes stress off the roof structure.
Removing snow at the eaves stops the melt-and-refreeze that builds damaging ice dams.
Clearing the eaves and valleys lets water drain instead of backing up under the roof.
Flat and low-slope roofs hold snow the longest and benefit most from clearing.
Done by pros with the right tools, without the fall risk or the roof damage of DIY.
A single storm is rarely the problem – it is the accumulation over a long Ottawa winter, especially when snow gets rained on and then freezes into dense, heavy ice. That load stresses the roof structure and sits at the eaves where it does the most harm. Clearing it before it builds up too far is far cheaper than dealing with the damage after.
The snow on your roof is the fuel for ice dams. Heat escaping into the attic melts the underside, the water runs to the cold overhang and re-freezes, and the dam that forms pushes meltwater back up under the shingles and into the house. Removing the snow – particularly at the eaves – takes the fuel away and buys you time, while we look at the insulation and ventilation causes behind it.
Roof snow removal is genuinely dangerous work, and the wrong approach – metal shovels, chipping at ice – wrecks shingles and flashing. We do it safely, with the right tools and technique, clearing the load and the eaves without gouging the roof. It keeps you off a ladder in the worst conditions of the year and protects the roof at the same time. This is a seasonal service, so reach out when the snow starts to pile up.
When snow builds up deep, after a big storm or a series of them, when you see ice dams or icicles forming at the eaves, or if you notice interior signs like ceiling stains or doors sticking. Low-slope and flat roofs, and roofs that already ice-dam, are the ones to watch most closely.
Warning signs include large icicles and ice dams at the eaves, sagging between rafters, new interior cracks or sticking doors, and water stains appearing on ceilings. If you are seeing any of those after heavy snow, it is worth getting the roof cleared and checked.
Yes. Flat and low-slope roofs hold snow the longest and drain the slowest, so they often benefit most from clearing. We remove the load safely without damaging the membrane.
Yes – clearing the snow at the eaves is the first step, and we can address the ice dam itself and then look at the underlying cause, which is almost always an insulation and ventilation issue we can help fix for the long term.
24/7 emergency roof repair in Ottawa – storm damage, active leaks, and emergency tarping, any hour. RoofRoof responds fast to stop the water and protect your home.
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