Monthly Archives: January 2017

Gutter Guards And Snow


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Gutter Guards And Snow. In this area of Virginia, we seem to get just a couple good snow storms and that’s it. There are more icy snows that roll through our area. We’ve talked A LOT about ice dams and icicles. We haven’t really dived into what to expect when you have gutter guards on your gutters. So when snow that’s icier or slowly melting becomes a icy slush this is where it’s going to drip; causing icicles and ice dams. When you mix this wintery weather with solid aluminum metal, it can create a sheet of ice. This makes it harder for your gutter guards to work properly ( or if you do not have gutter guards you can still run into this with just gutters). The melted water is going to roll over the ice sheet and drip onto your porch or walkway creating slick spots. Gutter guards that are more open mesh allow more water to seep in but this can make your gutter HEAVY. Leading to your gutters possibly becoming unattached from your home. This is one of the biggest complaints about gutter guards but think about the rest of the year and how they keep your gutters clean and free of clogs. There are some preventative measure you can take to avoid these ice sheets over your screen mesh gutter guards and hopefully keeping the majority of heavy ice out of your gutters. Snow rakes to pull sections of snow away from the eaves of your roof or heated gutter guards. Gutters & Guards, Inc does offer a heated gutter guard. Depending on the climate that you live in should always impact the type of gutter guards you need to install on your home. That and the type of debris you want to keep out. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram    

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More About Removing Icicles From Your Gutters


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Last week we discussed removing icicles from your gutters, learn more about removing icicles from your gutters. Check out last week’s article here. Insulation – Heat can escape into the attic from the interior of your home through a number of avenues.  Lighting fixtures in your ceilings, poorly laid or insufficient insulation allow excess heat to enter your attic, but it’s the latter two that you need to inspect for and address, since you have to keep insulation away from the fixtures.  R-Values have increased over the years so you might stop ice dams by simply rolling extra insulation over what you have installed now. Pay particular attention to the edges of your attic and any space between rafters that might have been missed or removed in the past. Circulation – Another cause of excess heat in the attic is poor circulation.  Depending on the home, some attics may have a vent/fan installed in the wall of the attic to maintain a proper internal temperature in relation to the external temperature.  If you home is lacking proper circulation, you can speak with a local builder about installing baffles.  A baffle is a channel run from your attic through the insulation to the soffit on your roof eave.  This allows the cold air from outside to enter the attic and maintain a proper temperature.  This can also help to stop ice dams from building up. (source) If you notice that your gutters are pulling away from your home contact a professional ( Like Gutters & Guards) to tighten up your gutters to ensure that they won’t cause more damage to your home. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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How To Prevent Slick Spots On Your Sidewalk


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How To Prevent Slick Spots On Your Sidewalk. No matter how well the snow and ice are removed from sidewalks, parking lots and the surrounding streets, people will invariably encounter some slippery surfaces when walking outdoors in the winter. Many cold-weather injuries are the result of falls on ice-covered streets and sidewalks. Walking on snow or ice is especially treacherous. Getting around in icy conditions calls for planning, caution, and a little common sense: Dress warmly and wear boots with non-skid soles (avoid plastic and leather soles). When entering a building, remove as much snow and water from your boots as possible. Take notice that floors and stairs may be wet and slippery. Walk carefully. Be prepared to fall and try to avoid using your arms to break your fall. If you fall backward, make a conscious effort to tuck your chin so your head doesn’t strike the ground with full force. Streets and sidewalks that have been cleared of snow and ice should still be approached with caution. Look out for “black ice.” Dew, fog or water vapor can freeze on cold surfaces and form an extra-thin, nearly invisible layer of ice that can look like a wet spot on the pavement. It often shows up early in the morning or in areas that are shaded from the sun. Eliminating Snow and Ice Pay attention to weather predictions in your area. This will allow you to buy shovels or de-icers if you do not already have them. It will also help you predict whether you will be dealing with freezing rain or light, fluffy snow which require different techniques. Apply a de-icer early in an ice storm, or a storm with heavy wet snow. You can choose between sand, rock salt, potassium chloride and other products. Keep up with shoveling once the snow starts if possible. If it is only a powdery snow, you can just brush it away with a broom. If you cannot keep up with it, just shovel it all away at the end of the storm. For more information about protecting your gutters or for a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Removing Icicles From Gutters


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Removing Icicles From Gutters. Icicles overhanging your roof may look like a scene from movie, but they can cause a lot of trouble. If left alone, the icicles may melt and refreeze into ice dams or may fall and cause injury to you, your family or guests. When a long-term warm-up is not in the forecast take steps to remove icicles yourself. We do not suggest you climb a ladder and bang them off your gutters with a hammer but rather take some preventative measures to ensure no heavy ice hang down. We have a few tips on preventing icicles and hopefully keeping your home from forming ice dams. Proper Exhaust – Many appliances and rooms in your home produce heat. The kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms all produce excess heat, and if the exhaust from these areas aren’t properly insulated and caulked, heat can escape into the attic.  Maintaining the ducts from these areas is crucial in the fight to stop ice dams and icicles. Roof Raking – One simple solution is to remove the snow from the roof yourself.  Many hardware stores carry snow rakes, a telescoping tool to manually remove the snow from the roof before ice dams form.  Keep in mind that these rakes should never be used while on a ladder, but are effective at freeing your roof of snow.  Using a rake to remove snow right after a storm will stop ice dams before they every have a chance to form and keep you from trying to rake heavy, crusty snow which makes the job much harder to do. (Source) Check Out Part 2 of removing icicles from gutters on January 27th! For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Snow & Your Gutters


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Snow & Your Gutters. Winter brings lots of snow and ice storms. One of the most important and troubling problems with all the snow on your home is the damage it can do to your gutters. One way that harsh winter weather can damage gutters is ice buildup. Ice buildup in your gutters prevents the flow of melted snow to your down spouts for proper drainage. The stacked up ice and snow causes the run off to flow over the lip of your gutters and create long icicles. Another equally troubling problem are ice dams. Ice dams start when snow builds up on your roof. Over time, the snow will begin to melt, even if the temperature stays below freezing. The heat from within your home warms your roof and melts the snow from beneath. The run off then enters your gutters, which remain colder than your roof, and re-freezes, creating an ice dam that prevents proper drainage of the snow melt. With ice dams formed, overexposure to moisture is prolonged. As the ice slowly melts over time, water seeps beneath shingles, under the tar paper, and eventually into the plywood beneath. Causing damage to your roof, fascia and soffit. One way to prevent ice dams is to clean out your gutters prior to winter. After all the leaves have fallen from surrounding trees. Clogged gutters will only accelerate the process of ice damming. Overflow will happen when the gutters fill up with ice and snow. To keep the snow on your roof from melting, make sure your roof is well insulated, and that warm air is not escaping. Another way gutters are damaged from snow and ice is from bearing the excessive weight of a big snow fall. 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. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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