Clearing Gutter Ice Dams

Those ice dams can cause some serious.

Clearing gutter ice dams.

It will put gutters and downspouts at risk too. So the first step is to remove this ice and snow using a snow rake which is a retractable rake that can extend up to about 17 feet or so in length. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva explains the best ways to keep your roof and gutters free from those dreaded ice dams. Gutter guards you know those gutter covers that starving phone salesmen try to sell you every autumn.

Gutters do not cause ice dams. But regardless you would have had ice dams anyway so don t go tearing the gutters off your house in an effort to prevent ice dams this winter. An ice dam can damage both your roof and the inside of your home. They re meant to keep out leaves pine needles and other flotsam.

See below for a shopp. This in turn causes the water to sit in the gutters and with the onset of colder temperatures the water will then turn into ice and at that point you are in a world of hurt. Ice dams are a common sight in northern new england winters and home partners has dealt with quite a few. When it forms the water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water.

Here are five ways to remove an ice dam from your roof. However if your roof is developing ice dams because of poor attic insulation a large eave or another factor gutter guards won t help. This pool of water can leak into your home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas. Gutter guards may prevent the gutter clogs that can cause or contribute to ice dams.

Ice dams on gutters result from melting snow over a heated building reaching the eave and freezing. An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof usually at the gutters or soffit. Lay the hose onto the roof so it crosses the ice dam and overhangs the gutter. An ice dam is defined as a build up of ice that gathers on the eaves of sloped roofs.

But they can also keep out your friendly neighborhood ice dam guys tech when it s time to remove that giant ice dam from your overhang. If necessary use a long handled garden rake or hoe to push it into position. Though ice dams can look picturesque with dangling icicles it s actually hard on your home. 5 ways to get rid of ice dams from gutters.

Eliminate its fuel source if left alone the ice dam will continue to be built up by the snow and ice up on your roof. Some gutter guards work better than others and in many cases they might be a. An ice dam is a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof under certain wintertime conditions. This equates to a larger thicker ice dam than you would have had without gutters.