Tom Hanks, owner, 24/7 Express Handyman Service · Updated September 2026
24/7 Express Handyman Service answers ice-dam calls in Salt Lake, Park City and Heber. 32°F is the line that matters for an ice dam, per the University of Minnesota Extension: part of the roof's surface has to stay above freezing while another part stays below it, and heat escaping into the attic is usually what keeps the upper roof that warm. (Dealing with and preventing ice dams — University of Minnesota Extension)
Do this now
Use a roof rake from the ground to pull snow off the lowest few feet of roof — that's the load feeding the dam.
Never chip at the ice dam itself with a shovel or axe; that tears shingles loose and makes the leak worse.
Put a bucket or towels under any active drip inside and move anything the water would ruin.
When to stop and call
If water is actively coming through the ceiling, if the ice dam is thick enough to see from the ground, or if shingles have visibly lifted, stop and call. 24/7 Express Handyman Service clears the snow load and makes the inside safe; a roofer handles any repair to the roof itself once the dam is gone.
Clear snow load from the eaves with a roof rake to stop feeding the dam.
Contain and extract any water that has already made it inside.
Tarp or board an opening if shingles have already lifted.
What to have ready when you call
Whether water is actively dripping inside, or just visible on the roof
How long the ice has been built up
Whether the attic has visible frost or wet insulation
The address and access details
What happens next
The dispatcher confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee, then Tom rolls.
On arrival Tom clears the load feeding the dam and contains any water that already got in.
Photograph the damage before anything is moved and keep every receipt; 24/7 Express Handyman Service provides an itemised invoice your insurer may ask for. The dispatch fee and job cost are paid by you on the day.
Questions people ask
Will running a space heater in the attic melt an ice dam?
No — a warmer attic is what causes an ice dam in the first place. The University of Minnesota Extension traces the whole process to heat escaping into the attic and warming the roof deck above 32°F, enough to melt snow that then refreezes at the colder eave, so adding more heat up there works against the fix, not for it.
