# Anybody Ice Dam Steaming???



## dougger222 (Aug 13, 2010)

Just wondering if anybody else on the forum has been doing any ice dam steaming.

Two years ago we got about 90 inches of snow and had no shortage of ice dams to steam off along with snow removal. Spent many thousands of dollars on google advertising and also got a lot of jobs from angies list. For a few weeks averaged a few hundred calls a week. The ice dams started end of December and went all the way through Valentines day when we got a big warm up. We had 14 jobs on the books at the time, all that potential money just melted away!

Last year not one call for even snow removal!

This year we did a few steam jobs early in December after a 14-17in wet snowfall and in the past two weeks have done a half dozen more with one planned this morning and two planned early next week.

With all the snow in the North East there has to be some ice dams???


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## vtroofing (Sep 27, 2009)

You my friend almost, almost inspired me to purchase a set up when you posted before. 

We shoveled off many a roofs and did well. Like you, I wanted to tap into the steam market.

Last year not one snow call. 

This year not one call either.


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## dougger222 (Aug 13, 2010)

Ya, you can either be swamped and roll in the money with a steamer or two or three.. OR make not one penny!!!

As far as recent years figure I'll add one more year to show how the steam market was in recent years.

This year, some steam work early in the Winter and more as of late. If temps stay below freezing should have more to do in the next couple weeks.

Last year, NOTHING.

Year before, TONS AND TONS AND TONS. 

Year before that, Quite a few late in the Winter. Didn't run a steamer then...

Years before that, not much but recall the seasoned steamers talking about Winter of 1997 being super busy and think at least one other Winter prior to 4 Winters ago.

With all that said the good news is out of the past four Winters there has been a need for steaming three of the years.

It would be wise to just sit back and see what the next few Winters bring and if you get a crazy Winter again buy one right away and advertise it well. Shoveling snow brings me $75 per man hour, I sub out legally at $25. Steaming on the other hand pays $300-400 an hour. Of course I don't pay people to steam but know of companies who do and pay $12-25 an hour for a steam operator. IF we ever get a crazy year will hire people to run steamers.

For numbers sake to get set up with ONE good steam machine your going to spend $2,500-5K+


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## dougger222 (Aug 13, 2010)

vtroofing said:


> You my friend almost, almost inspired me to purchase a set up when you posted before.
> 
> We shoveled off many a roofs and did well. Like you, I wanted to tap into the steam market.
> 
> ...


So even this year you haven't shoveled off many roofs?


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## vtroofing (Sep 27, 2009)

Nope. I'm OK with that my daughter just turned two I am ejoying staying home, my wife however...


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## dougger222 (Aug 13, 2010)

Ya, I hear ya on the youngster.

Got a 13 month old boy so understand ya.

From middle of December to two weeks ago didn't go on any roofs, that's when my wife said "are you ever going to go back to work?" Figured she was getting sick of me being home all the time...


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## dougger222 (Aug 13, 2010)

Hard to believe but here in Minnesota still in the middle of Winter and keeping busy doing ice dam steaming. Been doing 1-2 a day for a couple weeks now. 

This time last year in the 80's and had been in the tear off roofing season for going on two months.

The year before with almost 90 inches of snow the ice dams had melted off almost 6 weeks ago!


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