Claudette Michaud
Owner, attic and ventilation lead
Does the attic check herself on every visit and writes the estimate from what she finds there. Answers the winter leak line most mornings.
Roofs and attics in Bangor, Maine
Stop ice dams where they start: in the attic
Heat leaking into the attic melts the snow on your roof, and the water freezes again at the eave. We fix the air flow behind it, and we steam the dam off when it can't wait.
Winter leak line, December – March
Water coming through the ceiling?
Call or text. Claudette or Roland answers, and you talk to the people who would come.
Daily, 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
December through March. Call (207) 555-0101, or text a photo of the stain and the eave.
Who answers
Claudette or Roland, on the shop line. After 9 p.m. it goes to voicemail, and we call back at 6 a.m.
What we do first
Stop the water you can see and protect the room. If the roof is iced and we can't tie off, we say so and wait for daylight.
Nights and weekends
A visit before 7 a.m., after 4:30 p.m. or on a weekend costs more than a weekday one. We say how much before we come.
How an ice dam forms
Four steps from a warm attic to a wet ceiling
The dam is the last step. The first one is inside the house.
- 01
Step 1: Heat gets into the attic
Warm air leaks up around the hatch, light fixtures, chimneys and pipes, and through thin insulation.
- 02
Step 2: Snow melts from underneath
The roof deck warms, and the snow on it melts even when the air outside is well below freezing.
- 03
Step 3: Water runs to the cold eave
The eave hangs past the wall and stays cold, so the meltwater freezes there and builds a ridge of ice.
- 04
Step 4: The dam backs water up
Meltwater pools behind the ridge, gets up under the shingles and finds its way into the wall or ceiling.
Prevention or removal
Take the dam off, or stop it forming
Steaming clears a dam today. It doesn't change why the roof was warm. Most houses need the first when water is coming in, and the second before next winter.
| Prevention: air flow and ventilation | Removal: steaming | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Prevention: air flow and ventilationKeeps attic heat from reaching the snow on the roof | Removal: steamingMelts the dam so the water can drain off the roof |
| How it's done | Prevention: air flow and ventilationAir sealing, insulation, baffles, eave intake and a ridge vent | Removal: steamingLow-pressure steam, never a hammer, an ax or salt |
| When to choose it | Prevention: air flow and ventilationDry weather, before the snow, or along with a re-roof | Removal: steamingWater is coming in, or the dam is still growing |
| What it leaves | Prevention: air flow and ventilationA roof that stays cold, so less snow melts at the eave | Removal: steamingThe cause. The dam can come back in the next cold snap |
| How long it takes | Prevention: air flow and ventilationOne to several days, depending on the attic | Removal: steamingA few hours on site |
No soffit?
An older house with no soffit still needs air coming in
Many capes and farmhouses around Bangor were built with the roof ending flush at the wall. There is no soffit to hold an intake vent, so the attic can't breathe, and the eave runs cold on the edge of a warm roof.
We bring the air in another way, and keep the insulation from blocking it. Which way fits depends on what we find in the rafter bays.
A vented drip edge, or small vents in the fascia, take the place of soffit vents
A baffle in each rafter bay holds the insulation off the deck and keeps the air moving
A ridge vent lets the air out at the top
On a few roofs, insulating at the roof deck is the better answer, and we show you both
What we do
The attic first, then the roof
Six jobs, in the order a house usually needs them.
Attic check
Hatch to eaves: air leaks, insulation depth, the underside of the deck, vents, stains and frost, with photos you keep.
About the visitVentilation fix
Baffles, eave intake and ridge vents sized to the attic, including houses with no soffit.
The fix, step by stepIce and water barrier
A waterproof membrane along the eaves and in the valleys, under new shingles or metal.
Re-roofingIce-dam steaming
Low-pressure steam to open the dam and let the water drain. No chipping, no salt.
The winter leak lineLeaks and flashing
Chimneys, valleys, walls and vent pipes, traced from the attic side first.
Leak repairBefore-the-snow tune-up
Clear the valleys and gutters, reseal exposed nails and check the flashing before the first storm.
All services
Who comes to your house
Claudette, and the people who do the work
Six on the crew, plus Claudette. You meet the person who writes the estimate, and the lead who runs the job.
Armand Levesque
Crew lead, re-roofing
Runs the re-roofing crew on capes and farmhouses. Ties off before anyone steps onto the roof, and stops a tear-off when the weather turns.
Ibrahim Camara
Crew lead, vents and flashing
Cuts in the intake and ridge vents, fits the baffles and flashes the chimneys. Also leads the steaming crew when a dam can't wait.
Roland Soucy
Estimator and scheduler
Books the visits, builds the written estimate and keeps the schedule honest when the snow moves it.
Sample reviews
What customers could say
Sample words, written to show the kind of thing a customer says about attic and roof work. Replace them with your own.
“Claudette was in the attic for most of an hour before she told me anything. The baffles and a ridge vent went in on a Tuesday, and the north eave stayed clear in January.”
Eunice B.Cape, Hampden
“The dam was over the kitchen door and the ceiling was already stained. They steamed it that afternoon, and then showed me photos of where the air was coming up.”
Harlan D.Farmhouse, Corinth
“Our house has no soffit at all. I was told twice that nothing could be done. Ibrahim showed me the drip edge vent he would use, and where it would go.”
Ardis P.Farmhouse, Orrington
Sample reviews.
Service area
Where we work
Bangor, Brewer and the towns around them in Penobscot County, plus Winterport and Dedham. The shop is on Hammond Street in Bangor.
Penobscot County
- Bangor
- Brewer
- Veazie
- Orono
- Old Town
- Hampden
- Hermon
- Glenburn
- Holden
- Orrington
- Eddington
- Milford
- Kenduskeag
- Corinth
- Levant
Waldo County
- Winterport
Hancock County
- Dedham
We don't roof on the coast past Ellsworth, or north of Lincoln and Howland.
ZIP codes: 04401, 04412, 04473, 04468, 04444, 04474, 04428, 04461, 04450, 04427, 04456, 04496, 04429
Questions
What people ask about ice dams and roofs
What causes an ice dam?
Heat from the house gets into the attic and warms the roof deck, so the snow on the roof melts from underneath. The meltwater runs down to the eave, which stays cold, and freezes there. Steam takes the dam off. Sealing the air leaks, adding insulation where it is thin and letting cold air through the attic is what keeps it from forming.
What does attic ventilation do?
It lets cold outdoor air in low, at the eaves, and out high, at the ridge, so the roof deck stays close to the temperature outside. That keeps snow from melting unevenly, and it carries off damp air. Poor ventilation can also affect some shingle warranties.
Should I chip the ice off myself?
No. Chipping, salt and a hammer damage shingles, and a fall from a ladder on ice is the real risk. If water is coming in, call us. We use low-pressure steam, from the ground or a lift where we can, and we won't go onto an iced roof without a way to tie off.
Will you look in my attic?
Yes, every visit starts there if we can get in. We check the air leaks at the hatch, lights and pipes, the insulation depth, the vents at the eaves and the ridge, and the underside of the deck for stains and frost.
How much does a new roof cost?
It depends on the roof's size in squares, its pitch, how many layers come off, the material, the deck underneath and the ventilation. We don't post prices because two houses on the same street can differ by a lot. The estimate page lists everything that moves the number, and you get the figure in writing after the visit.
How long does a roof last?
Typical ranges, which depend on the house and how well the attic breathes: architectural asphalt shingles about 25 to 30 years, standing-seam metal about 40 to 70, cedar shingles about 25 to 50. A roof that sheds snow evenly and stays dry underneath tends to reach the long end.
What warranty do I get?
Two parts: the shingle or panel maker's material warranty, and our workmanship warranty. The terms are written on your contract: what each covers, how long, what voids it, and who registers it. Ask us to show you the papers before you sign.
Do you take a deposit, and do you offer financing?
Deposit and payment terms are on your estimate. We don't set up financing ourselves; if the estimate offers a lender, it lists the rate, the term and the lender's name next to any monthly figure.
Book a visit
Tell us about the house
Where it is, and what you have seen. Claudette calls you to set a day.
Call(207) 555-0101
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- SundayToday
- Closed