There’s something beautiful and peaceful about winter snow as it falls. It’s something to look forward to every year, especially in places like the Pacific Northwest, where it doesn’t snow very much. However, beautiful as it may be, snow and ice can be a serious problem for your house if you’re not careful. Everyone knows how a buildup of snow can damage your roof, but did you know it can cause issues for your gutters and gutter guards as well? At Gutter Empire, your home is our top priority, so here’s a little info you might not know about icy gutters.
When snow falls on your roof, it can often end up settling there for a little while before melting. As the ice and snow melts, it turns into water, which runs down into your gutters. Normally, this isn’t really a problem. After all, running water off your roof is exactly what gutters are designed to do. But in the cold winter months, the temperature can stay low enough that the water re-freezes in your gutters and turns back into ice. This is especially likely if your gutters are clogged, preventing water from draining before it freezes.
Once the water in your gutters freezes, it turns into an ice dam. These dams in turn block more water from flowing, often creating bigger chunks of ice in your gutters. As the ice dams become bigger, they become more dangerous. A large ice dam can become too heavy for your gutters, causing them to be pulled away from your roof. The best way to avoid this is through frequent cleaning and maintenance of your gutters so water doesn’t get blocked and freeze in them. If you do end up with some damage to your gutters after an icy storm, don’t panic! At Gutter Empire, we know how unpredictable the weather in the Pacific Northwest can be, so our contractors are experts at fixing weather damage to your gutters.
