By the time a roof in Tigard has a visible ridge of ice at the eave, meltwater has already been pooling behind it for several freeze-thaw cycles. As part of our complete Tigard winter roof services, crews handle commercial ice dam removal across Washington County.
Elevation, Aspect and Ice: The Washington County Pattern
The pack at this elevation is deep enough to act as its own insulation, which means the surface melts under sun while the base stays locked. Water released at the top has to travel through and under all of it.
Aspect decides which eaves suffer. A sunny plane sheds water across a roof in Tigard to a shaded eave that has not been above freezing for weeks, and that is where the ice builds into a wall.
Ice-barrier practice in Washington County
Design snow loads in Washington County are among the highest anywhere, and the membrane and retention requirements that go with them are not formalities. On an older Tigard cabin or chalet neither may be present.
Commercial Ice Dam Removal in Tigard: How The Work Runs
Membrane-safe means something specific
EPDM, TPO and modified bitumen all tolerate steam at low pressure and none of them tolerate chipping, scraping or a pressure washer. Crews steam the drains and scuppers open first to restore flow, then work the ponded ice, and they stay off seams and flashing details with the lance.
Mechanical units, conduit runs, solar racking and safety railing all get worked around rather than over.
Overflow scuppers are the tell
Water running out of an overflow scupper in winter means the primary drains are not taking it. On a Tigard building that is a sign the roof is holding standing water somewhere above a frozen drain, and the load is being carried rather than shed.
Scuppers are checked first for exactly that reason, and a dry scupper above a wet roof is as informative as a running one.
Internal drains fail differently from gutters
A residential gutter overflows when it blocks. An internal roof drain just stops, and the water stays on the deck at depth until it finds a seam, a flashing detail or a pitch pocket.
Crews open the drain throat and then confirm flow in the leader below before calling it clear. An open drain over a frozen leader is not an open drain, and on a Tigard building that distinction shows up as a tenant ceiling two floors down.
Scheduling around tenants
Noise, access, parking and the hours a Tigard business can have equipment outside its door all shape when work happens. Some jobs run overnight for that reason.
Set the constraint on the call and the window gets planned around it rather than negotiated on the day.
Insulation above the deck changes the melt pattern
A modern commercial assembly puts most of its insulation above the deck, so very little building heat reaches the membrane. That is good for energy and it means the snow that lands mostly stays - the roof does not self-clear the way an under-insulated one does.
Where dams do form on those roofs it is almost always at a thermal bridge: a parapet, a curb, a drain bowl or a line of fasteners. Those are the spots crews work first.
What you get in Tigard
- Drains and scuppers firstFlow restored before the ponded ice is worked
- Flow confirmed belowAn open drain throat over a frozen leader is not an open drain
- Tenant-hours schedulingWork windows set around occupancy and access
| Pricing model | Billed by the crew hour, rate quoted before dispatch |
|---|---|
| Local ice-barrier practice | Extended membrane plus snow retention |
| Dispatch window | 24 to 48 hours in mountain terrain |
| Documentation | Dated before and after photos, written scope in Xactimate line items |
| Typical scope | Steam, 8-16 crew hours typical |
| Removal method | Low-pressure steam only. No chipping, salt or pressure washing. |
| Primary climate stressor | Solar melt on deep pack, shaded eaves |
Where We Dispatch Around Tigard
Crews working Tigard cover the adjoining communities on the same route — Tualatin, Marylhurst, Sherwood, West Linn and Wilsonville — so a storm week usually means one truck handling several addresses in Washington County rather than separate trips.
Nearest hub towns with their own commercial ice dams pages: Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Portland, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Gresham.
Tigard sits inside the regular Oregon service area, so a crew is usually scheduled the same day or the following morning.
Most jobs do not stop at one service. Commercial Ice Dams in Tigard often runs alongside commercial roof snow removal in Tigard, and both get written into one scope rather than billed as separate visits.
Active leak right now? Our 24/7 Tigard steam ice dam removal crews are dispatched first during a freeze event. Call (888) 561-9664.
