We have now reached the winter season, and the cold weather is upon us. For many, this is a wonderful time of the year! People have time off of work and children have a break from school. Families get to come together to have quality time with one another, teaming up to clean and decorate the house, and having meals together. When it snows, kids get so excited, running outside to build snowmen and have snowball fights. It really is a magical and wonderful time of the year.
Until… you walk outside and find that your gutters are frozen solid.
What does this mean?
What causes this?
This is actually an issue we see often, and it is one that can be avoided. But first, let’s talk about what can happen if this issue is not fixed. Untreated, icy gutters can cause lots of problems for a house. Since they are frozen, they are not working properly, preventing them from guiding water to where it needs to go. This water can then build up on a roof, causing leaks and weighing down over time.
What happens when gutters get too heavy? They can break and detach from the house, preventing them from doing their job.
Icicles can also grow on frozen gutters. These, too, can cause damage to the house.
When ice builds up on the roof, water can be pushed up under shingles, This can create a leak or a bunch of ice, and the pressure can eventually break the roof and cause a leak in the house. This much damage is not necessary.
In addition, when water builds up and sits for a long period of time, this can turn into mildew and mold growing on your roof.
It is also important to make sure the insulation on your roof is in proper shape (and this can be done but calling an expert to come take a look).
Another trick is to put a little bit of snow salt in the gutters to immediately melt whatever freezes in there. However, we still highly recommend having an expert help you ahead of time to make sure everything is safe and ready to go. You can also buy heated cables for your gutters so that you can warm them up when they are frozen.
These are great tricks to clear away ice and to avoid it to begin with.
But most importantly, the main thing you can do to prevent ice in gutters is to get your gutters checked before the winter. They probably need to be cleaned and should be at least yearly.
By following these directions, you are preparing yourself to avoid any unneeded stress when it comes to your gutters.
We hope you have a safe, happy, and healthy winter!
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