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- Leak Prevention & Waterproofing
Roof Waterproofing in Novi, MI before it leaks
Ice along the eaves, icicles over the front door and stains that show up every March. We find out why ice dams form on your Novi home and fix the flashing, ventilation and underlayment that let water in.
- Ice and water shield
- Flashing done right
- Balanced attic ventilation
- Free roof inspection
Free roof inspection & estimate
Novi homeowners. A roofer, not a call center, gets back to you.
Why Novi homes get ice dams
An ice dam forms when heat from the house warms the roof deck, snow melts higher up, and the water refreezes at the cold eave. The ice builds a ridge, more meltwater pools behind it, and that water backs up under the shingles and into the soffits, walls and ceilings.
Many Novi homes have features that make this more likely: vaulted ceilings and cathedral rooms, finished bonus rooms over attached garages, recessed lights in top-floor ceilings, and complex rooflines where valleys and dormers trap snow. Older homes may have little or no ice and water shield at the eaves, and attic insulation or ventilation that never quite worked.
Fixing it usually takes more than heat cable. We look at the attic for warm spots, missing insulation and blocked soffit vents, and on the roof for missing or short ice and water shield, poor drip edge and failing flashing. When we re-roof or repair, we install ice and water shield at the eaves and in valleys, open up intake ventilation and balance it with ridge venting. The goal is a cold roof deck that keeps snow where it belongs until it melts off cleanly.

The details that keep water out
Leak prevention is not one product. It is a handful of details done right.
Ice and water shield
Self-sealing membrane at the eaves, valleys and around penetrations, where water backs up.
Step & counter flashing
Metal flashing where the roof meets walls and chimneys, layered so water runs out, not in.
Attic ventilation
Soffit intake and ridge exhaust balanced so the roof deck stays cold in winter.
Drip edge
Metal edging at the eaves and rakes that carries water into the gutter and off the fascia.
Pipe boots & vents
Cracked rubber boots and loose vent flashing replaced before they let water down the pipe.
Gutters & downspouts
Clear, properly pitched gutters move meltwater away instead of letting it freeze at the edge.
Where the fix belongs
Heat cables and roof rakes deal with ice after it forms. They can help in a pinch, but they do not fix why the ice is there. The lasting fix is stopping the heat that melts the snow and protecting the roof edge where water collects.
On an existing roof, we can often improve ventilation, replace failed flashing and boots, and repair the eaves without replacing the whole roof. Ice and water shield goes on the decking under the shingles, so adding it means removing the shingles in that area. On a roof near the end of its life, it goes in as part of a full replacement.
We inspect the roof and attic, photograph what we find and explain which fixes fit your roof.
| Fix | Existing roof | With a new roof |
|---|---|---|
| Ice and water shield | At repaired areas | Eaves and valleys |
| Flashing | Replace failed sections | All new |
| Ventilation | Add or balance vents | Designed in |
| Pipe boots | Replace cracked ones | All new |
| Drip edge | Where it’s missing | Full perimeter |
Find it, explain it, fix it
You see what we see before you decide anything.
Roof & attic inspection
We check the eaves, valleys, flashing and vents, and look in the attic for heat loss and moisture.
- Photos of problem areas
- Ventilation checked
- Signs of past ice dams
Written options
You get the photos and a written estimate for the fixes that address the cause.
- Cause explained plainly
- Repair vs. replace honesty
- Free written estimate
Careful install
We do the work with the house protected, clean up daily and show you photos of the finished details.
- Photos of the work
- Daily cleanup
- End-of-day briefing
What our customers say
Real reviews from homeowners across Metro Detroit.
“Very awesome, professional experience with Kincaide!!! Scott and his crew is wonderful. They do good work, really put things in terms so that people can understand things better. We will definitely be sticking with KINCAIDE!!!”
“I can’t say enough good things about this company. Scott the owner walked me through the whole process from start to finish. They protected my house with boards during the job and did a fantastic job on clean up! All this and a fair price!”
“Kincaide roofing went above and beyond our expectations. Scott (the owner) took pictures of every step and fix he made. They were punctual, thorough and very professional. No B.S. with Scott, the communication was straight forward and gave us briefings every night before they left.”
The freeze-thaw season is the leak season
In Novi, many leaks don’t show up in a summer storm. They show up during a January thaw.
Southeast Michigan winters swing above and below freezing over and over. Each warm afternoon melts some snow, each cold night refreezes it at the eaves, and by late winter a small gap in flashing or underlayment has been tested dozens of times. That is why so many Novi homeowners find stains in February and March. Fixing the cause in the warmer months, before the next winter, is the best time to do it.
Ice and water shield
A self-sealing membrane at eaves and valleys that keeps backed-up water out of the house.
Attic ventilation
Open soffit intake and ridge exhaust keep the roof deck cold and even.
Flashing
Walls, chimneys, skylights and pipe boots sealed so meltwater has nowhere to go.
- Novi
- Northville
- Wixom
- Walled Lake
- Farmington Hills
- Commerce Township
- Lyon Township
- South Lyon
- Livonia
- Plymouth
Ice dam and leak questions from Novi homeowners
What causes them, what fixes them and what to do in the meantime.
Why does my Novi home get ice dams when my neighbor’s doesn’t?
Do I need a permit to add ice and water shield or ventilation in Novi?
Will heat cable stop ice dams?
Should I chip ice off my roof?
Can you add ice and water shield without replacing the whole roof?
When is the best time to fix ice dam problems?
End the ice dams before next winter
Book a free inspection of your Novi roof and attic. We’ll show you where the heat and water are getting through.


