Roofing Guide · Updated November 2026
After a snowfall followed by a few cold nights, many Montgomery County homeowners find a brown stain on the ceiling near an outside wall. The usual culprit is an ice dam: a ridge of ice at the roof edge that traps melting snow and pushes water up under the shingles.
Call (610) 831-3192Heat escaping from the living space warms the roof deck. Snow on the upper roof melts, runs down, and refreezes at the cold eave overhang. The ice builds into a dam, and meltwater pools behind it and backs up under the shingles, where it leaks into walls and ceilings.
Never chip at ice with a hammer or an axe: it destroys shingles. From the ground, a roof rake can pull the bottom few feet of snow off. Calcium chloride (not rock salt) in a sock laid across the dam can melt a channel. For heavy dams or active leaks, a roofing crew can steam the ice off safely and tarp if needed.
Older Montco homes with low-slope additions, finished attics and recessed lights are especially prone to ice dams.
Interior water damage from ice dams is often covered, subject to your policy and deductible. Removing the ice and fixing the cause usually isn't. Photograph the damage and call your insurer.
Heat cables can keep a channel open on problem eaves, but they treat the symptom. Insulation, air sealing and ventilation fix the cause.
Yes. The crew can steam off the ice, tarp or patch the leak, and schedule permanent repairs when weather allows.
Free inspection and written quote from a local Montgomery County roofer. Emergency tarping and leak calls answered 7 days a week.