Vacation Rental Ice Dam Removal

As a vacation rental owner, it’s essential to learn about and be proactive at preventing ice dams – especially if your property is in a region that experiences heavy snowfall.

When ice dams form, they create slabs of ice at the gutters that prevent melting snow from draining properly. This can lead to leaking ceilings. While ice dams don’t always result in water leaks, if your Airbnb or VRBO rental is not occupied for a day or two, your next guests could be in for a messy and wet surprise! Familiarize yourself with the signs of ice dams and learn what to do if you find one. The Ice Dam Guys regularly have to help vacation rental owners address their ice dams. Like the photo here, many rentals are in the forest and nature. This photo has snow on a brown vacation property with icicles hanging down. There are evergreen trees around it.

Why Ice Dam Prevention is Critical for Vacation Rentals:

Property Damage: As we mentioned above, ice dams can cause water leaks leading to damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and more. This is one of the worst-case scenarios to experience and it gets very costly to remediate because of potential moisture and mold.
Health Risks: The moisture from water leaks can lead to mold and mildew growth, posing serious upper respiratory risks for even healthy guests. For guests with asthma, allergies, or COPD, it’s even more dangerous! Signs of irritation include coughing, wheezing, stuffy nose, a sore throat, and red eyes.
Vacation Rental Reputation: Any damages and repairs from ice dams will likely lead to booking cancellations. Last-minute changes like this can easily become negative reviews. To protect the long-term appeal of our property, it’s best to avoid impacting travel plans.
Loss of Revenue: Whether your reputation and reviews are harmed by mold and leaks or cancellations due to repairs, those vacant nights are costing you money. Loss of rental income can really sting, especially if your property experiences seasonal peak season in the winter.

The Ice Dam Guys remove ice dams from vacation rentals like the lodge in this photo. It's a multi-unit property that has significant ice and snow on the roof. It has evergreens around it and looks to be a resort near nature.

Preventing Ice Dams in Vacation Rentals:

Visual Inspections: Whether it’s you, the cleaner, or a maintenance tech, someone has to regularly inspect the property for the telltale signs of ice dams and take immediate action if one is suspected.
Inform Guests and Housekeeping: Educate your short-term guests and cleaning staff about the signs of ice dams and encourage them to report any issues. Share images so they know the difference between a harmless icicle and a bank of icicles attached to the ice dam.
Professional Snow Removal: Consider hiring professionals to remove snow from the roof. They can do this right after a storm before an ice dam forms to hedge your bets against developing one in the coming days.
Heat Loss Management: Many homes can have unintentional attic bypasses that allow interior heat to leak into the attic. In summer or fall, hire a home energy professional to audit and improve the insulation of your property to prevent this heat loss.
Installation of Prevention Systems: Use heat cables, heat tape, or roof de-icing cables to prevent ice dams. Professional installation ensures the best results and safety.

The Ice Dam Guys frequently help vacation rental owners with ice dams. Here there is a large bank of ice forming a large icicle. It looks to be five or more feet in length and wide. It's coming from an ice dam hanging over the gutter with evergreens in the foreground.

Communication with Vacation Rental Guests:

Welcome Guide Instructions: In addition to sharing the area’s best cafes and bars, also include information about ice dams in your welcome guide or house manual. While we’d like to think guests read those, you could also put the alert on the fridge to ensure it’s read by all visitors.
Emergency Contacts: In the same spot, you should provide contact details for emergency situations, including who to call if guests suspect an ice dam is forming. With the ease of video calls, you can have guests Facetime or share a video of what they see or suspect. This can make addressing ice dams efficient, even from afar.

Taking these preventive measures can not only prolong the life of your property by avoiding costly repairs, but it also ensures the safety and comfort of your guests. Happy guests leave happy reviews and that means more occupancy and rental income for you!

If you have any questions or need emergency ice dam removal for your vacation rental, please call us at 1-800-423-3267 or contact us online. We’re ready to take your call 24/7.

We often experience extreme call volume during peak ice dam season. Therefore, we encourage you to please call us as early as possible.

Mention you read our Ice Dam Awareness: Vacation Rental Owners and we’ll take 10% off your project!