[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Hi Stew..
Your contractor buddy is right.....
BUT and I repeat my original statement...

Quote.."A smack with the shovel or the back of an ax will shatter the ice dam along the edge of the roof..."
You notice I said....The Ice Dam....Back edge....etc...
You don't Chop with the pointy sharp edge...That is for opening beer cans and stuff..
And the edge of the roof.....Won't hurt the shingles farther back..
And with two feet of snow on the roof,a scoop or plastic push shovel is usually used leaving a few inches of snow on the roof to protect the shingles....
As for falling off...that is where the empress will have to do a short course on the jump tower to learn the correct landing proceedure....
Again..remove the snow ,by what ever means and the leaking will stop ..Next spring install the heaters insuring they extend over the roof edge at least an inch ...preferally two or three to insure a passage way for the melting water out over the roof edge...
The battle continues....