Proudly serving Minnesota and Wisconsin - including Duluth, Minneapolis, Eau Claire and nearby areas

Ice Dam Prevention

Frozen gutters and thick icicles are the tell-tale signs of ice dams, which can damage shingles and leak into your attic, drywall, furniture, and floors. A roofer offers a temporary fix; DBS prevents future ice dams at the source by air sealing and improving the insulation in your attic.

Why Ice Dams Form on Your Roof

Ice damming occurs when heat from inside the attic warms the underside of the roof and melts the snow on top. The meltwater runs down to the cold overhang and gutters, where it refreezes into a ridge of ice and icicles. As the dam builds near the eave, water puddles behind it and can leak under the shingles and into the home. A water spot on the ceiling is a sign of a leaky roof.

Several factors lead to ice dams, including inadequate attic insulation, poor attic ventilation, and clogged gutters. Chipping the ice off your roof only damages shingles. The lasting fix is to air seal and insulate so attic heat stops melting the snow.

Driven by attic heat melting roof snow
Worsened by air leaks from the living space
Aggravated by poor attic ventilation
Compounded by clogged gutters and warm attic ducts
Solved by air sealing plus added attic insulation
Upgrades pay back in fuel and electricity savings

Schedule your free
Home Insulation Inspection

Schedule your free
Home Insulation Inspection

How DBS Prevents Ice Dams

A roofing patch treats the symptom. DBS treats the cause with two coordinated upgrades.

Solution 1

Air Sealing & Attic Insulation

Air sealing is done before adding insulation, since insulating first only buries leaks around can lights, drywall-to-stud seams, pipe and wire holes, and chimney and duct chases. Sealing then insulating keeps attic heat from reaching the roof, and also fixes drafty rooms and high bills.

Solution 2

Seal & Insulate Air Ducts

A furnace may heat air to 100 degrees and send it through leaky ducts in a 30-degree attic, dumping heat that melts roof snow. Sealing and insulating ducts keeps that heat out of the attic and delivers it to the rooms it was meant for.

Ice Dam Prevention: What to Expect

1.

Free on-site inspection and estimate

A specialist measures current insulation depth, recommends a target R-value, and presents a written proposal.

2.

Air seal the attic

Leaks that let warm air into the attic, around can lights, seams, pipes, wires, and chases, are sealed first.

3.

Seal and insulate ducts

Attic ductwork is sealed and insulated so it stops warming the roof deck from below.

4.

Upgrade attic insulation

High-performance attic insulation, including spray foam and blown-in options, is added to keep the roof cold.

5.

Walkthrough

The crew reviews the completed work and the comfort, efficiency, and ice-dam benefits.

Ice Damm prevention

See the Hidden Benefits of Basement Insulation!

Why Fix Ice Dams with DBS

Prevention, Not Patches

DBS stops future ice dams at the source instead of chipping ice off the roof each winter.

Two Problems, One Visit

The same upgrades that stop ice dams also cut high heating bills and drafts.

Protects Your Home

Preventing dams protects shingles and stops leaks into the attic, drywall, and floors.

Duct Sealing

Sealing warm attic ducts removes a hidden heat source that melts roof snow.

Energy Evaluation

A home energy evaluation pinpoints the problem areas behind your ice dams.

Pays for Itself

Air sealing and insulation upgrades pay back in fuel and electricity savings.

Stop Ice Dams Before Next Winter. Get a Free Inspection

DBS prevents ice dams across Minnesota and Wisconsin including Duluth, Eau Claire, Elk River, Saint Cloud, and Minnetonka. Every estimate includes an attic inspection and a written proposal with no obligation.

Schedule your free
Home Insulation Inspection

Schedule your free
Home Insulation Inspection

Home Insulation
Reviews

your neighbors are talking about us…

DBS Repair has been keeping attics, basements, crawl spaces, and walls warm in winter and cool in summer with home insulation across Minnesota and Wisconsin,
from Duluth to Eau Claire, for nearly 15 years!

See what your neighbors have been saying about DBS Repair’s
home insulation services.

Linda Hermanson
4 weeks ago
Mike assessed our attic and gave a thorough explanation of issues to improve the insulation of our townhome. He gave a number of possible scenarios with varying price points. He was very professional and honest about what he thought each option would accomplish. No pressure just helpful to understand what is possible.
DW Laukka
1 month ago
June 24, 2026 Trevor, with DBS foundation, base and insulation, just completed work on my Madeline Island Cottage on Lake Superior. The work, included Excavation, shoring and replacement supports in the Crawl Space of this 1940 Lake home. I was pleased with the technology at DBS uses, and the knowledge and technical proficiency that Trevor had in doing the work. He was thorough, and listen ed carefully to my concerns. I was absolutely 100% satisfied with his work and that of his assistant Corbin. If you are in need of foundation repair in Minnesota and Wisconsin, I highly recommend DBS. Donald W Laukka, architect.
Maggie's Dad
2 months ago
Nick and Rob from DBS stopped out to do some warranty repairs last week, specifically to spray some foam insulation in just a few areas that were missed in the original crawlspace encapsulation. They did a great job; quick and clean work. I'm quite pleased.
Photo from customer reviewPhoto from customer reviewPhoto from customer reviewPhoto from customer review
Keith Milner
4 months ago
Thank you so very much for insulating our basement and stabilizing our basement floor. Jake did a great job of explaining what needed to be done and Westin completed the work. We are very pleased with the work done and how well they kept us informed of the project. We highly recommend DBS.
Sue Schnell
5 months ago
Icicles! Up and down our eaves when no one else in the neighborhood had them! We called DBS and Myke came out to do an inspection. He helped us clearly understand our problem--very old insulation and hardly any baffles--and outline our solution. Joe and Griffin did a great job with the repair! They were extremely courteous and careful in our home; and so easy to work with. I had no idea that insulation needed to be replaced, but now we aren't dreading the next cold days...as much!
Donald Thiets
1 year ago
We had Bryan out to perform an inspection of our attic for a few issues we were encountering. Bryan was prompt and on time. He called the day prior to the appointment to confirm the time. He inspected our insulation and attic and helped us identify another problem as well. Kudos to Bryan for being professional and personable. I would recommend Bryan to anyone looking for home inspection and repairs.
Overall great experience. They did a fantastic job of explaining all of the work. Added the different kinds of insulation in very tight areas. And the clean up was superb. Would highly recommend DBS.
It started with a busted water pipe, 200 gal of water in my basement, leading to a new found hole in my basement wall & other surprises. I researched, cried some, researched more, made calls, had a couple different companies come out. Honestly? The 1st phone conversation with Bonnie Sundberg's DBS Foundations, Basements & Insulation I had? Gave me a much needed breath of relief. The compassion & reassurance meant everything. Bo Meintz was my Specialist. He took time to answer the most outside of the box questions & concerns. And trust me, after 200 gallons of water? You question A LOT. I am thankful for Bo and his patience. His knowledge and explanations , superb! Thank you!
Jim Vollhaber
1 year ago
I had a great experience with DBS. Scheduling of the energy inspection was simple and fast. The Design Specialist, Justin, conducted a thorough energy audit. Justin was very knowledgeable, explained things at my level, and he provided all of his recommendations without at all being pushy. He communicated via text and email and responses were always timely. The cost of the insulation installation seemed to be comparable to competitors. The job was completed in a few hours and the crew cleaned the area well. I’d definitely use DBS again and would highly recommend Justin.

Thumbs Up forIntegrity

Service Area Lookup

Find Your Service Area

Enter your ZIP code to see which service page is right for your area.

DBS service area map for Minnesota DBS service area map for Wisconsin