Ice dams occur when melted snow refreezes and it s common during winter.
Gutter problems ice.
Adding a heating system in your gutters can help address this issue.
When the water hits the gutter it freezes.
This is one of the most serious issues with gutters specifically for homeowners in cold climates.
The ice continues to compile and an ice dam is born.
Ice dams are the result of snow melting off your roof and collecting in the gutter system.
Ice dams occur when snow located on a roof melts and then turns back to ice as it enters the gutter system.
Gutter leaks usually start at rusty spots or seams that have opened up because of expansion and contraction.
In actuality ice dams will occur even if you do not have a problem with your gutters.
These ice dams can lead to serious home damage such as.
Ice dams will continue to form on the cold edge of the roof.
Leaf guards that sit in the gutter or don t pitch with the roof are more likely to create a shelf for ice buildup to occur.
If you have gutters they can fill with ice and be the foundation for the ice dam.
Ice dams can form in your gutters when rainwater or other precipitation backs up in your gutters and freezes due to cold temperatures in the winter late fall or early spring.
For houses located in snow zone areas special precautions should be taken to reduce the possibility of roofing failure and water damage do to 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.
Icicles and ice dams are more a function of roof insulation and ventilation.
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.
If your gutter is still basically sound the easiest way to stop the leak is by covering the damaged area with roof and gutter repair tape available at home centers and hardware stores.
Rotten soffits and fascia damaged warped gutters and downspouts water stains on your home damaged attics including wet insulation shingle damage as water and ice move underneath the shingles.
Once the gutter is filled the ice will start to push up and get under the first layer of shingles along the edge of the roof.
Strengthen your home s gutters and prevent not just ice and snow damage but other gutter problems and consider installing a gutter helmet.
Even gutters that are adequately installed using the proper material and size for your region can succumb to the weight of snow and ice and break away from their hangers and fall to the ground.
When this process happens repetitively it can damage your roof and gutters.
If your home is prone to ice dams you will get them regardless of whether or not you even have gutters.
