Gutters And Ice Dams

Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few.

Gutters and ice dams.

An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions. Gutters have a tendency to collect leaves and other debris and that makes gutter guards an important part of your roof s drainage system. Gutters are perfect places for ice dams to form especially if they re already clogged with leaves and debris. It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too.

An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home. Different from normal icicles ice dams are large buildups of ice on your gutter. If ignored ice dams can cause serious damage to your roof gutters paint insulation and interior drywall and other surfaces. One side effect of installing gutter guards on your horizontal runs is they can help to generate ice sickles and dams as water freezes during the winter.

Two types of people will tell you that gutters cause ice dams. Meltwater drains down to the eaves or gutters where it refreezes and the accumulating ice makes a dam preventing additional snow melt from draining off. More critically ice dams can cause meltwater to back up under the shingles where it can flow down and ruin ceiling and wall surfaces. See below for a shopp.

Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams. This backup is usually caused by clogs in the system that prevent water from flowing into the trough down the spouts and away from your home.

In part ice dams occur because there is a difference between the heat on the roof and the heat in your gutters. This myth has lingered like a bad smell and has resulted in many puzzled frustrated homeowners. The roof is connected to the interior of the home and sometimes it can be a venue for heat leakage. The notion that gutters cause ice dams to form on your roof is one of them.

People who don t know the science behind ice dams and people who want to sell you a gutter system that supposedly prevents ice dams from forming. These large masses can cause your gutter system to tear down or other damages dangers to the surrounding areas.