Frozen Rain Gutters

Clear and check the flow in your gutters sometime in the fall after the leaves have fallen and before the cold sets in.

Frozen rain gutters. Many contractors employ equipment that injects steam and or hot water into your gutters and through your downspouts to get rid of ice. If the frozen portion of your downspout is on the ground level and if it is near an outlet you can simply plug in your hairdryer to an extension cord and warm up the portion of the downspout that has become frozen. Over time the ice can back up into your gutters creating additional weight on your entire gutter system. The only sure fire way to melt the ice in frozen gutters is to hire a professional.

An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof usually at the gutters or soffit. You can also have a heating panel system installed. When it forms the water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water. Gutter cleaners explain how ice builds up in your gutters and how to prevent it.

Once the ice has melted it will drop the remaining ice through the spout. Unfortunately dealing with frozen gutters is rarely simple or inexpensive. This can lead to your gutter and downspout tearing away from your roof or siding leading to more costly and larger problems such as water leaks and improper drainage. When winter storms hit gutters and downspouts sometimes freeze into solid blocks of ice and homeowners understandably worry about gutters pulling away from the roofs or ice dams forming.

Frozen downspouts can cause costly damage however consistently frozen or frozen solid downspouts may require immediate attention especially if weather conditions will be less than ideal for the foreseeable future. Over time the ice may back up into your gutters themselves thereby creating extra weight on your entire guttering system. This pool of water can leak into your home and cause damage to walls ceilings insulation and other areas. The tried and true method is to fill a stocking with ice melt and put it in the gutter.