Ice Dam Removal & Prevention on Block Island, RI

We help Block Island homeowners keep drifted snow and ice from leaking into their houses

Winter on Block Island is different from winter on the mainland. The ocean around the island tends to keep temperatures milder, and snow often turns to rain or melts within a few days. That does not rule out ice dams. With almost no tall trees to break the wind, snow blows across open lots and piles up on the sheltered side of a roof, against chimneys and in valleys. When that drift melts and the water reaches a cold roof edge, it freezes into a dam.

Many homes in New Shoreham are seasonal, from gray-shingled cottages near Old Harbor and New Harbor to houses on open land along Corn Neck. Some sit closed all winter with the heat turned low. Others have become year-round homes over time, sometimes without much added attic insulation. Either way, a dam can sit at the eaves and leak into a ceiling or wall for weeks before anyone sees the stain, so the first sign is often found in spring.

Because getting to the island takes planning, we look at Block Island requests one at a time and cannot promise a date until we have talked with you. When we do take an ice dam job, we remove the ice by hand, carefully cutting channels so the trapped water can drain without harming the shingles or gutters. For most island owners, prevention done before winter is the better plan. Call (401) 274-3030 or send photos through the form to talk it over.