Blogs, Insights and Tips | Northwind Exteriors

Blogs, Insights and Tips | Northwind Exteriors

Your Trusted Resource for Certified Excellence in Roofing, Siding, and Exteriors

Welcome to the Northwind Exteriors Learning Center—your essential guide for protecting and enhancing your home's exterior in Park Ridge, Glenview, Des Plaines, and the surrounding suburbs.

We don't just provide exterior services; we provide certified expertise. Northwind Exteriors holds the highest credentials in the industry:

Siding: James Hardie Alliance Elite Contractor

Roofing: Malarkey Certified Premium Contractor

This dual certification ensures you receive superior workmanship and the industry's best warranties on both major components of your home's envelope.

What You'll Find Inside Our Expert Guides:

Premium Roofing Expertise: Transparent guides on Malarkey products, the value of Certified Premium Contractor installation (including the enhanced warranty), proper ventilation, and the necessity of Ice and Water Shield.

Elite Siding Clarity: Localized cost guides, including the real price of James Hardie siding, and the importance of hiring an Elite Contractor for a valid 30-year warranty.

Weather Defense & Solutions: Urgent solutions for local threats like ice dams (from our division, Ice Dam Liquidators of Chicago) and proactive steps to prevent storm damage.

Home Value: Tips on maximizing curb appeal, improving energy efficiency, and boosting your home's resale value through strategic exterior upgrades.

Start exploring our latest articles below to secure your home's investment with certified quality.

Emergency steam ice dam removal on a suburban home to stop a roof leak.

Why Your Roof is Leaking (It's an Ice Dam) and How to Stop It Now

December 08, 20253 min read

⚠️ EMERGENCY WARNING: Why Your Roof is Leaking (It's an Ice Dam) and How to Stop It Now

The Immediate Threat to Chicagoland Homes

With the recent heavy snow and ice across Park Ridge, Rosemont, Norridge, Des Plaines, and Glenview, Northwind Exteriors is receiving urgent calls. If you are seeing sudden water stains on your ceilings, know this: the leak is almost certainly caused by an ice dam.

An ice dam is a silent killer for your home's interior, escalating quickly from a small stain to major damage to drywall, insulation, and structure.

You need fast, safe relief. Northwind Exteriors, operating as Ice Dam Liquidators of Chicago, provides the region's most effective steam removal service to stop the leak immediately.

What is an Ice Dam and Why is it Causing My Leak?

An ice dam is a frozen ridge of ice that forms at the edge of your roof (the eaves). This ice barrier stops melting snow from draining off the roof, trapping the water instead.

The Problem: Trapped Water

The trapped water has nowhere to go but backward—it seeps up under your shingles and through nail holes, finding its way into your attic and eventually your home's interior. This is why the leak wasn't there before the storm: the leak requires accumulated snow and ice to form the barrier.

DO NOT DELAY: The longer the dam is active, the greater the risk of costly interior damage, mold growth, and structural issues.

The Safe Solution: Steam Removal by Ice Dam Liquidators

Forget the risky, ineffective methods like chipping, hitting, or using salt—these can severely damage your shingles, flashings, and void your roof warranty.

Northwind Exteriors (Ice Dam Liquidators of Chicago) performs the only recommended safe and effective method: Low-Pressure Steam Removal.

Our Fast & Effective Steam Process:

  1. Low-Pressure Steam: Our specialized steam machine uses gentle, high-temperature steam (not a high-pressure washer!) to melt the ice safely without damaging the shingles or gutters.

  2. Immediate Relief: We cut clear channels through the ice dam and clear your frozen gutters and downspouts, allowing the trapped water to drain instantly, stopping the active leak inside your home.

  3. Service Area: We are focused on rapid deployment for our neighbors in Park Ridge, Rosemont, Norridge, Des Plaines, Glenview, and other surrounding suburbs.

Long-Term Prevention: Addressing the Root Cause

Removing the ice is the emergency fix, but the permanent solution lies in correcting the thermal leaks that caused the dam in the first place. This is where Northwind Exteriors' expertise as a full-service exterior specialist is invaluable.

After the removal, Northwind will help you come up with a future plan to correct the underlying issues, which are often:

  • Poor Ventilation: Inadequate roof ventilation (such as blocked soffit or insufficient ridge vents) traps warm air in the attic, causing the snow to melt prematurely.

  • Inadequate Insulation: Insufficient or poorly installed attic insulation allows heat to escape from the living space into the attic, warming the roof deck.

  • Missing Defense: For homes due for a new roof, installing Ice and Water Shield membrane beneath the shingles provides an indispensable waterproof layer of defense against any future backup, giving you peace of mind for decades.

📞 EMERGENCY BOOKING: Stop Your Leak NOW

If you are experiencing a leak, you need immediate, safe, and professional service. Don't wait for the damage to worsen.

Call Ice Dam Liquidators of Chicago directly to book your emergency steam removal:

Call Now: 773-998-4000 or visit www.northwindexteriors.com

Protect your home and your wallet from the costly interior damage caused by ice dams.

ice dam removalice dam removal serviceroof leak winterhow to stop ice damssteam ice dam removalice dam liquidatorsice dam removal Glenviewice dam removal Rosemontice dam removal Des Plaines, ice dam removal Norridgeice dam contractors Chicago, roof leak emergency, poor roof ventilation, inadequate attic insulation, ice and water shield
Back to Blog