What Causes Ice Build Up In Gutters?

What Causes Ice Build Up In Gutters? Gutters do not and will not cause ice. The cause of ice in & on your gutters is either because of inadequate insulation, ventilation or both. Open, uncovered gutters are just at the wrong place at the wrong time and get the blame of homeowners’ frustration when ice forms.

So what is the true cause of ice? Well, heat loss from your home to your attic area is the primary culprit of ice dams. The reason ice and ice dams form is because warm air leaks from the living space below. The warm air then melts the snow on the roof; this produces water. That water then trickles down to the colder edge of the roof. Once the water hits that colder edge, it freezes and produces ice. The snow that accumulates on the roof acts as an insulator. It traps more heat in the attic, which makes the roof warmer. This trapped heat melts more snow. The more snow that melts and the colder temperatures during the winter, means more ice at the eaves of your roof.

Don’t let this happen to you. A sheet of ice let loose from the roof, can get caught on the gutter and kept on going. Your gutter can pull away from the fascia board. This shows just how much power and weight ice can have on your gutter system.

Ice and snow will build up inside of your gutter; it is inevitable. The snow and ice will build up and build up; eventually that build up will become higher than the gutter itself. Once a warmer day rolls around, that build up that you see above your gutter will start to melt. Because the snow and ice is now higher than your gutter, it will begin to drip on the face of your gutter and the ground below. The inside of the gutter is full of ice and snow, so there is no place for that dripping water to flow. It will drip over your gutter, creating icicles, until the snow and ice accumulation melts level to the gutter and the inside of the gutter itself has a chance to melt and flow.

You can speed up the melting process with one of these solutions we’ve listed in a previous post. Many people will tell you to install heating cables but be aware that over time the heat from the cables will make your shingles very brittle. So be careful when choosing the right heated gutter guards. We offer Ice Shield Heated Gutter Guards by MasterShield. View how this system works, here.

Protect your home and avoid pricey repairs with gutter guards.

For a free estimate on heated gutter guards, adding regular gutter guards or gutter repairs, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected.

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Tags: Construction and Maintenance, damage, Debris, Downspout, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, Weather, winter

Maintain Your Gutters During Winter Months

Maintain Your Gutters During Winter Months to make sure that your gutters are working properly when it matters most. Clogs, leaks, and damage can make for a big headache when you gutter stop working during a big storm.

Eliminate all clogs before bad weather hits. This will cut your ice dam likeliness in half and allow for all snow and ice to not stay on your roof as long. Ice dams can cause lots of problems to your home if they get big enough.

It might be in your best interest to invest gutter guards to prevent leaves and other debris from entering your gutters and downspouts. Though it will not do anything to help you prevent ice dams (only clean gutters and sweeping snow off your roof will), they will help keep your gutters clean and you will not have to worry about your gutters as much. It does not mean that you never have to clean your gutters but it does save you time.

For a free estimate on gutter replacement, 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.

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Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, damage, Debris, fall, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, Virginia, winter

Gutter Cleaning Prevention

Gutter cleaning may not sound like the most glamorous to-do job in the world but it’s a very important one to do.We suggest cleaning your gutters at least twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall).

This is a necessity to prevent bad things from setting in. Such as moss, ice dams, paint/siding damage, gutter pull away and foundation damages. If you haven’t cleaned out your gutters yet, time is short. With the temperature dropping and the weather becoming more temperamental. It’s preparing for snow/winter storms to set in. We urge you to plan to clean out your gutters asap. Whether you DIY or hire a professional, the sooner the better. OSHA has a great ladder safety article that will ensure proper ladder safety. Keep yourself safe if you choose the DIY route. It’s not only important to prevent bad things from happening to your home during the winter months. It will allow for a longer life for your gutters.

For a free estimate on gutter replacement, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Gutters & Guards experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected.

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Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, damage, damage prevention, Debris, Downspout, fall, fall gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Rain gutter, Virginia, winter

Rain Gutter Issues

Winter Rain Gutter Issues

Winter is starting to get a bit messy. This means your gutters are getting a workout. With all the rain and snow coming down, it can create a real mess around your home and become a headache if your gutters for some reason stop properly working.

If you clean your gutters the recommended twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall) and it seems like every time it rains water is still overflowing and making a mess then there could be a bigger cause at hand.

The first thing you should look at if you are facing this problem are the downspouts.

Clogged downspouts can mean your gutters drain slower and it will back them up if there is a heavy rain. A way you can check to see if it’s your downspouts causing all of the trouble is by running water from your water hose directly into your downspout ( DO NOT USE A NOZZLE; let it run freely). If water drains slowly, its your downspouts. If you have underground downspouts that take the water away from your home. Check to see if the water flows freely all the way to the bottom of the gutters. If not, it’s a problem.

The 2nd place you should look to if it seems like your downspouts are clean and properly working.

Look at your gutter slope. Your gutter slope is what allows the rainwater to freely flow from your gutters to your downspouts. Gutters are stressed by heavy weights whether it be debris that has sat in your gutters for way to long or by heavy snow. It’s an easy fix for a professional who knows how to pitch gutters. It is important to look for damage done to gutters or fascia board by heavy gutters because the problem will keep happening if it went on for too long. To see if your gutter slope is off run water through your gutters with the hose and see if it pools up and slowly drain. If so then it’s your pitch.

The last place your should look is at your gutters themselves. Does it seem that water is just completely overshooting your gutters? This could mean that you need over-sized gutters. Call a professional to see how much it would be to replace your residential gutters with larger commercial gutters instead.

If it seems like one place is getting overrun by water. You could just need a diverter to split up the water flow. This is a common method used when roof valley’s are causing water to overflow.

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Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, damage, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Home repair, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain, Rain gutter, Virginia, Water damage, Weather, winter

Happy New Year 2015!

Happy New Year 2015! We hope everyone has a fantastic, prosperous and amazing new year. Remember to clean your gutters at least twice this year and if you need help make sure to give us a call. If you want to forget about it completely give us a call and join our Long-Term Maintenance Program today. Add gutter guards this year, we’re happy to help you decide on a good fit for your home.

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Tags: Construction and Maintenance, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, holiday, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, winter

New Year Gutter Resolutions

Bent and/or disconnected gutters & downspouts can not only make your home look bad but it can allow water to drain where it shouldn’t, such as underneath your shingles or into windows. It’s important to clean your gutters at least twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall). This will ensure that your gutters are working best when they need to, and it keeps your home in working order. Gutters sealed in places they tend to leak. Such seams with a clear caulk. Consider investing in a gutter guards for the new year.

Gutter guards not only keep debris from accumulating in your debris.

They can prevent clogging from happening and cut the time you spend cleaning gutters in half. Check fascia boards condition. Replaced as needed. It doesn’t do any good to replace your gutters if your fascia boards are in bad shape.

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Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, Debris, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Home repair, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, Virginia, winter

Different Styles Of Vinyl Soffits

different styles of vinyl soffits

There are a few different types of vinyl soffits that can be used on your home. The type you use can also depend on the amount of ventilation your roof needs, while keeping water out of your home. Vinyl is a less expensive alternative that is just as durable as wood and can sometimes provide better insulation.

Triple 2″ Soffit

The 2″ soffit comes in two different styles solid & hiddenvent in a matte finish. There are a few colors to choose from such as:

Royal Colors: Certainteed Colors:

Beige Sterling Gray

Linen Sandstone Beige

Sand Desert Tan

Sterling Natural Clay

White Heritage Cream

Wicker Snow Colonial White

Pebble Clay*

*premium color

Royal’s 2″ triple soffit is a beaded panel which has a middle that separates each panel and the vents are hidden.

Triple 3″ ( 3 1/3″) Soffit

The 3″ (or 3 1/3″ for Certainteed) Soffit comes in solid and hiddenvent as well. It comes in a matte finish and many colors to choose from such as:

Royal Colors: Certainteed Colors:

Beige Charcoal Gray

Linen Granite Gray

Sand Sterling

Vintage Cream Seagrass

White Cypress

Wicker Herringbone

Pebble Clay* Sandstone Beige

Musket Brown** Desert Tan

*premium color Natural Clay

**dark color Savannah Wicker

——————————————————————-Light Maple

——————————————————————-Heritage Cream

——————————————————————-Snow

——————————————————————-Colonial White

Different Styles Of Vinyl Soffits.

Triple 4″ Soffit

Triple 4″ Soffit comes in a variety of styles such as solid, fully vented ( perforated or basket weave), and center vented (perforated or basket weave). It comes in a matte finish and many colors to choose from such as:

Solid Colors

Royal: Certainteed:

Beige Musket Brown

Soft Maple Autumn Red

Flagstone Terra Cotta

Driftwood Mountain Cedar

Harvard Slate Sable Brown

Linen Hearthstone

Sand Suede

Sterling Spruce

Vintage Cream Forest

White Ivy Green

Wicker Pacific Blue

Victorian Gray* Flagstone

Walnut* Charcoal Gray

Pebble Clay* Castle Stone

Wedgewood** Granite Gray

Natural Cedar** Sterling Gray

Musket Brown** Bermuda Blue

——————————————————————-Oxford Blue

——————————————————————-Seagrass

——————————————————————-Cypress

——————————————————————-Green Tea

——————————————————————-Linen

——————————————————————–Sliver Ash

——————————————————————-Warm Sand

—————————————————————–Herringbone

—————————————————————-Sandstone Beige

—————————————————————-Desert Tan

—————————————————————Natural Clay

————————————————————–Savannah Wicker

————————————————————–Light Maple

————————————————————–Buckskin

————————————————————Sandpiper

———————————————————-Heritage Cream

———————————————————–Autumn Yellow

———————————————————-Snow

———————————————————Colonial White

Perforated Vent Colors

Royal: Certainteed:

Beige Musket Brown

Soft Maple Autumn Red

Flagstone Terra Cotta

Driftwood Mountain Cedar

Harvard Slate Sable Brown

Linen Hearthstone

Sand Suede

Sterling Spruce

Vintage Cream Forest

White Ivy Green

Wicker Pacific Blue

Victorian Gray* Flagstone

Walnut* Charcoal Gray

Pebble Clay* Castle Stone

Wedgewood** Granite Gray

Natural Cedar** Sterling Gray

Musket Brown** Bermuda Blue

*Premium Colors Oxford Blue

**Dark Colors Seagrass

———————————————————–Cypress

———————————————————-Green Tea

———————————————————-Linen

———————————————————Sliver Ash

——————————————————–Warm Sand

——————————————————–Herringbone

——————————————————–Sandstone Beige

——————————————————–Desert Tan

——————————————————–Natural Clay

——————————————————–Savannah Wicker

——————————————————–Light Maple

——————————————————–Buckskin

——————————————————-Sandpiper

——————————————————Heritage Cream

—————————————————–Autumn Yellow

—————————————————–Snow

—————————————————–Colonial White

Basket Weave Colors

Royal:

White

Center Perforated Colors

Royal: Certainteed:

White Musket Brown

—————————————————————–Autumn Red

—————————————————————-Terra Cotta

—————————————————————-Mountain Cedar

—————————————————————Sable Brown

————————————————————-Hearthstone

————————————————————-Suede

————————————————————-Spruce

————————————————————Forest

————————————————————Ivy Green

———————————————————–Pacific Blue

———————————————————–Flagstone

———————————————————-Charcoal Gray

———————————————————Castle Stone

——————————————————–Granite Gray

——————————————————-Sterling Gray

——————————————————-Bermuda Blue

——————————————————Oxford Blue

—————————————————–Seagrass

—————————————————–Cypress

—————————————————-Green Tea

—————————————————–Linen

—————————————————-Silver Ash

—————————————————Warm Sand

—————————————————Herringbone

—————————————————Sandstone Beige

—————————————————Desert Tan

—————————————————Natural Clay

—————————————————Savannah Wicker

————————————————–Light Maple

—————————————————Buckskin

————————————————–Sandpiper

————————————————–Heritage Cream

—————————————————Autumn Yellow

—————————————————Snow

—————————————————Colonial White

Center Basket Weave Colors

Royal:

White

Double 5″ Soffit

Double 5″ Soffit comes in a few different styles such as solid, fully vented and perforated. With a matte, woodgrain and brush finish. In many colors such as:

Solid Colors

Royal: Certainteed:

Beige Arbor Blend**

Soft Maple Artic Blend**

Flagstone Weathered Blend**

Driftwood Frontier Blend**

Harvard Slate Timber Blend**

Linen Canyon Blend*

Sand Meadow Blend*

Sterling Glacier Blend*

Vintage Cream Autumn Red

White Sable Brown

Wicker Forest

Victorian Gray* Ivy Green

Walnut* Pacific Blue

Pebble Clay* Charcoal Gray

Wedgewood** Granite Gray

Natural Cedar** Sterling Gray

Musket Brown** Oxford Blue

*Premium Colors Seagrass

**Dark Colors Cypress

————- Linen

————————————————————-Silver Ash

————————————————————-Warm Sand

————————————————————Herringbone

————————————————————Sandstone Beige

———————————————————–Desert Tan

———————————————————-Natural Clay

———————————————————Savannah Wicker

———————————————————Light Maple

——————————————————–Buckskin

——————————————————–Heritage Cream

——————————————————–Snow

——————————————————–Colonial White

——————————————————–*Deluxe Colors

——————————————————–**Premium Colors

Double Perforated Soffit

Royal: Certainteed:

Beige Arbor Blend**

Soft Maple Artic Blend**

Flagstone Weathered Blend**

Driftwood Frontier Blend**

Harvard Slate Timber Blend**

Linen Canyon Blend*

Sand Meadow Blend*

Sterling Glacier Blend*

Vintage Cream Autumn Red

White Sable Brown

Wicker Forest

Victorian Gray* Ivy Green

Walnut* Pacific Blue

Pebble Clay* Charcoal Gray

Wedgewood** Granite Gray

Natural Cedar** Sterling Gray

Musket Brown** Oxford Blue

*Premium Colors Seagrass

**Dark Colors Cypress

——————- Linen

——————————————————————–Silver Ash

——————————————————————–Warm Sand

——————————————————————–Herringbone

——————————————————————–Sandstone Beige

——————————————————————–Desert Tan

——————————————————————–Natural Clay

——————————————————————–Savannah Wicker

——————————————————————–Light Maple

——————————————————————-Buckskin

——————————————————————-Heritage Cream

——————————————————————-Snow

——————————————————————-Colonial White

——————————————————————-*Deluxe Colors

——————————————————————-**Premium Colors

As you can see soffit isn’t as limited as it use to be and depending on the amount of air ventilation your home needs.

So choose a style to fits your home and update your existing soffit to something a little more durable, like vinyl soffit.

We also offer Hardie Soffit which is a little bit different than vinyl soffit. Both in looks and material. Hardie Soffit is that they work more like panels. This gives a smoother look than other soffits available. As a fiber cement product it does cost more than vinyl soffit would. There are also fewer options in both the styles and colors when it comes to the Hardie Soffit. The options include cedarmill and smooth finished to choose from and that comes in non-vented and vented.

The colors that are available in this area are:

Woodstock Brown

Timber Bark

Khaki Brown

Arctic White

Sandstone Beige

Monterey Taupe

Autumn Tan

Sail Cloth

Cobblestone

Navajo Beige

Primed (For Painting)

There is also a Beaded Porch Panel that comes in Arctic White.

For a free estimate on soffit replacement, 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.

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Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Home repair, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, soffit, vinyl soffit, Virginia, winter

Happy Holidays 2014 !

Happy Holidays 2014!

This happy holidays 2014, we’re wishing you a safe and happy holidays. We thank all of our previous customers for a wonderful 2014. We look forward to working with everyone in 2015.

Our crew at Gutters & Guards would like to wish everyone a Happy Holidays & A Wonderful New Year!

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.

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Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, holiday, Lynchburg Virginia, Rain gutter, Social media, Virginia, winter

Winter Proof Your Home This Fall

Winter Proof Your Home This Fall.

Winter Proof Your Home This Fall. With only a few more fall days left this year before winter rears it ugly head. That means even less time to get your home in winter battle mode. There are a few things you will need to do to get your home ready. Below is a infographic of the top 5 project to do.

Making sure that your home is winter ready can be very important for how it handles the harsher winter weather.

For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Gutters & Guards experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected.

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Tags: Construction and Maintenance, fall, fall gutter cleaning, fall weather, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain, Rain gutter, Virginia, Weather, winter

Get A Gutter Cleaning Before Winter Hits!

Right now is the best time of year to get a gutter cleaning before winter hits. This can prevent other problems such as from arising in the dead of winter, when it can be harder to repair your home. There are quite a few pros to cleaning out your gutters in the late fall.

Your gutters will be easier to clean in the fall.

This is true when it comes to spring gutter cleaning. If you leave all the gutter debris in your gutters over the winter it can allow the debris to decay and stick to your gutters. Which will take longer to clean out in the spring.

The chance of ice dams building up will be smaller.

Gutters that are full of debris will clog up your gutters when snow starts to melt creating ice dams and not allow for proper water flow. To learn more about ice dams and how to prevent them please view our previous blogs on the subject.

Gutter malfunctions will be lessened.

If your gutters are weighted down with debris already then when snow sets on them it will make your gutters strain even more. This can cause your gutter pitch to be changed, loosen your gutters or worse they can fall off. So protect your gutters to protect your home.

Gutter longevity.

This is a no brainer. The more you take care of your gutters the longer they will last. This includes cleaning them out at least twice a year (spring and fall) So make sure to schedule an appointment with a professional or take time out of your weekend to get the job done before it’s too late!

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.

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Tags: Construction and Maintenance, damage, Debris, Downspout, fall, fall gutter cleaning, fall weather, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Home repair, ice, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain, Rain gutter, Virginia

What Causes Ice Build Up In Gutters?

Maintain Your Gutters During Winter Months

Gutter Cleaning Prevention

Gutter Cleaning Prevention

Rain Gutter Issues

Winter Rain Gutter Issues

The first thing you should look at if you are facing this problem are the downspouts.

The 2nd place you should look to if it seems like your downspouts are clean and properly working.

Happy New Year 2015!

Happy New Year 2015!

New Year Gutter Resolutions

New Year Gutter Resolutions

Gutter guards not only keep debris from accumulating in your debris.

Different Styles Of Vinyl Soffits

different styles of vinyl soffits

Triple 2″ Soffit

*premium color

Triple 3″ ( 3 1/3″) Soffit

Triple 4″ Soffit

Solid Colors

Perforated Vent Colors

Basket Weave Colors

Center Perforated Colors

Center Basket Weave Colors

Double 5″ Soffit

Royal: Certainteed:

Double Perforated Soffit

Royal: Certainteed:

As you can see soffit isn’t as limited as it use to be and depending on the amount of air ventilation your home needs.

Winter Proof Your Home This Fall

Winter Proof Your Home This Fall.

Get A Gutter Cleaning Before Winter Hits!

Your gutters will be easier to clean in the fall.

The chance of ice dams building up will be smaller.

Gutter malfunctions will be lessened.

Gutter longevity.

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