If you live in Chicagoland, you know that our winters are no joke. Between heavy snow and freezing cycles, your roof takes a beating. While shingles are your first line of defense, there is a "secret weapon" underneath them called Ice and Water Shield.

What is an Ice and Water Shield?

Unlike standard felt paper or synthetic underlayment, an Ice and Water Shield is a self-adhering, waterproof membrane. It’s thick, rubberized, and sticky on one side.

We install this directly onto the roof deck in the most "vulnerable" spots—like the eaves (the edges), valleys (where two roof planes meet), and around chimneys or skylights.

Why Is It Critical in Illinois?

The main enemy of a Midwest roof is the Ice Dam.

  1. The Problem: Heat escapes your attic, melts the snow on your roof, and that water runs down to the cold edge of the roof where it freezes again, creating a "dam" of ice.

  2. The Leak: Behind that dam, liquid water pools up. Because it has nowhere to go, it starts to back up under your shingles.

  3. The Solution: Standard underlayment can’t stop standing water, but Ice and Water Shield acts like a gasket. When we nail shingles through it, the rubberized material actually seals around the nail, creating a watertight bond that prevents leaks even if water gets under your shingles.

The Stan's Standard

Local building codes often require Ice and Water Shield, but at Stan's Roofing & Siding, we go above and beyond the bare minimum. We ensure these membranes are installed perfectly in every "high-risk" zone of your roof to give you peace of mind when the next blizzard hits.