Ice Dams At Cold Eaves
We are a Kachina Village commercial roofing contractor that repairs, replaces, and installs roofs on small commercial buildings off I-17 and stops the ice dams that form along cold eaves each winter.
Local Roofs
Kachina Village sits just south of Flagstaff off I-17, among the pines. Commercial buildings here include shops, offices, and service buildings, many with low-slope roofs, some with a pitched section or overhang along the front.
On these roofs, ice builds at the coldest edge. Warm air from the rooms below melts snow, and the meltwater freezes again where the roof runs out past the heated walls.
Leak Signs
Ice dam leaks show up inside in odd places and at odd times. Here is what each one points to on the roof.
Water drips near an exterior wall on a clear day, long after the last snowfall ended.
Snow melts over the heated rooms and refreezes at the cold overhang. The ice ridge holds water, which backs up under the laps above it.
Brown streaks run down drywall just under the ceiling along the front wall of the building.
Heated air escapes where the wall meets the roof deck and melts the snow above it. We air seal that joint and reflash the edge.
Long icicles hang from the gutter above the front door, and a glaze of ice coats the walk below.
A gutter packed with ice and pine needles traps meltwater at the edge. We reset the edge metal and gutter so water leaves before it freezes.
Ceiling tiles around a plumbing vent or exhaust duct turn damp, then show frost on cold mornings.
Gaps around pipes and ducts leak warm, moist air into the roof assembly. Sealing each penetration at the deck and reflashing it at the membrane stops the melt.
Heating costs rise each winter, and snow vanishes from the roof faster than from the parking lot.
Little insulation over the deck lets heat reach the snow. A core sample shows what is there, and added boards keep the roof surface cold.
Who Gains
Stopping ice dams at the source improves a Kachina Village building for the person who owns it, the person maintaining it, and the people working under it.
Roof Systems
Many commercial buildings here pair a low-slope main roof with a pitched front or overhang. These two systems cover both.
Low-slope main roofs on shops and offices. Heat-welded seams hold when meltwater sits behind a frozen edge, and we add insulation under the membrane.
Pitched fronts and overhangs. Standing-seam panels shed snow before it builds into a dam, with ice barrier at the eaves and snow guards over doors.
Roof Trouble
Call and describe where the ice forms and where water shows up inside. We will start the inspection at that edge.
How The Work Runs
Removing the ice treats the symptom. This is the order we follow to stop the heat loss that builds it.
We check the eaves, gutters, and flashings, then look under the deck for warm-air leaks and thin insulation. Ice stays in place rather than being chipped off the membrane.
Penetrations, duct chases, and the joint where walls meet the roof deck are sealed first, so warm air from the rooms stops reaching the snow.
Added insulation boards go down over the deck, and the new membrane or metal panels follow, with ice barrier at the eaves of sloped sections.
Drip edge, gutters, and outlets are set so meltwater runs off before it freezes. A follow-up visit after the first big snow confirms the eaves stay clear.
Nearby Towns
Mountainaire borders Kachina Village, and I-17 links both to Munds Park in the south and back up to Flagstaff.
Snow load checked before a new layer goes on.
Drifts and buried drains furthest south on I-17.
Wide warehouse roofs out on I-40.
Sliding snow off pitched metal roofs on US-89.
Common Questions
Answers to what owners and managers ask about winter leaks and roof work on Kachina Village buildings.
Ice dams form when heat leaking through the roof melts snow, and that water freezes again at a colder edge. The ice then pushes water back under laps and flashings.
Lasting fixes are insulation upgrades, air sealing at penetrations and wall-to-roof joints, edge and gutter details that drain meltwater before it freezes, and ice-barrier underlayment at the eaves of sloped sections. Chipping ice off a membrane often does more harm than the dam.
Coconino County Building and Safety handles them, because Kachina Village is unincorporated county land.
The County asks for a pre-construction meeting with building staff before a commercial application is filed. Its parcel viewer shows the district for your address, and since requirements change, we confirm them with the County before work begins.
No, as a rule. Picks, shovels, and hammers cut membranes and bend edge metal, and that damage often costs more to fix than the dam itself.
If water is coming in now, we repair it or set a temporary dry-in, then fix the heat loss and edge details behind the dam.
It depends on the roof's age and how much water has already gotten in. If the field membrane is in good shape and the insulation is dry, we repair the eaves, seal the air leaks, and add insulation where reachable.
Wet insulation, open seams across the field, or repeat leaks at several edges point toward a replacement.
A split system works well: TPO on the low-slope main roof and standing-seam metal on the pitched front or overhang.
Welded TPO seams handle standing meltwater. Metal sheds snow before it can pile into a dam, though sliding snow calls for snow guards above doors and walkways.
Work moves across the roof one section at a time, and every opened area is closed and dry before the crew leaves for the day.
Loud demolition happens early or on days the shop is closed. Lifts and materials stay clear of the front door and fire lanes, and HVAC intakes get covered against fumes.
Plan the permanent work for late spring through early fall, when membranes, sealants, and adhesives get the warm, dry weather they need.
The season is short at this elevation, so book ahead. Midwinter leaks get repairs or a temporary dry-in, and the insulation and edge work follows once it warms up.
Next Step
Tell us where ice forms each winter and where water shows up inside. We will plan the inspection around those spots.
Leave a name and number and we will call you about the roof.
Or call now: (928) 430-5703